In the wake of his daughter's death over the weekend, Sen. Dick Durbin has canceled plans for an Election Night party.
Christine A. Durbin, the oldest daughter of Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, died Saturday at the age of 40, according to a spokesman for the Democratic senator.
Durbin spokesman, Joe Shoemaker, said Christine Durbin died in a Washington D.C.-area hospital from complications related ot an existing congenital heart condition. Sen. Durbin was with his wife, Loretta, and their family in the D.C. area.
"Most of the famiy was at her bedside when she passed away, " Shoemaker said. She "fought a heroic lifelong battle with heart disease. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Durbin family.
Christine Durbin had worked for 16 years for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and lived in the Washington DC area.
Besides her parents, Christine is survived by her husband, Marty Johson, and son Alex; brother Paul and wife Jamie; sister Jennifer and husband Michael.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
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Durbin, 63, is the second in command of the U.S. senate. He is seeking his third term in that office. His opponent is republican Dr. Steve Sauerberg, a physician from Willowbrook.
