After more than 20 years in the Illinois House, GOP Leader Jim Durkin is planning to submit his resignation from the state legislature Monday, Durkin told NBC 5's Mary Ann Ahern.
After Democrats won major victories in the midterm election, Durkin announced he would not seek another term as minority leader.
Speaking out about that decision, Durkin said he made a commitment to himself after the June primary that he would stay on as long as the GOP won enough seats.
“I wanted to get out of the superminority,” Durkin said in the days following the election. “I didn’t meet the goals that I had placed for myself and in this business you’re judged on how many seats you win.”
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Falling short of that goal, Durkin was candid about his hope that the Illinois GOP and its base will see the losses up and down the ballot as an opportunity for a reckoning.
“The party needs to hit the reset button and realize what happened again on Tuesday, that we cannot allow the far right fringe to control the party,” Durkin said Nov. 10. “If they continue, we will suffer losses at the same level we did this cycle, last cycle.”
Durkin says those losses can be traced in large part to one person: former President Donald Trump.
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“The Trump factor went too far and I believe that that was what interrupted part of this red wave, what we’re seeing play out with him and his antics - nothing’s changed,” Durkin said. “He wants to run for president again, he hasn’t accepted the loss from a couple of years ago, January 6th hearings - none of that has helped our brand.”
Durkin represents House District 82, which includes portions of Lemont, Darien, Burr Ridge, Willow Springs and Willowbrook. Durkin's replacement will be named by Republican officials in his district.
