Senate Dems brace for leadership fight after Durbin retirement

• An open fight for the whip spot next year could also complicate Schumer's strategy of privately mediating intraparty disputes.
• It will potentially expose the party's deep divide on whether to elect a moderate — or a progressive — to help them return to power.

Zoom in: Sen. Brian Schatz, 52, of Hawaii is actively making outreach to members about replacing Durbin. His interest in the job is a poorly kept secret on Capitol Hill, and he's got a head start as the current chief deputy whip.

• Sen. Amy Klobuchar, 64, of Minnesota wants the job, sources tell Axios. Schumer made her the No. 3 Senate Dem last year, and she's respected by her colleagues.
• Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, 61, of Nevada is also interested in moving up, although it's not clear if she's ready to challenge Schatz or Klobuchar.

Between the lines: Schatz and Cortez Masto voted with Schumer last month in support of a GOP spending plan to avert a government shutdown.

• Those votes were seen as key indicators of their interest in leadership gigs.
• Klobuchar voted against the measure, as did Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), another one of Schumer's top leadership officials this year.

• Schumer intervened this year when Klobuchar and Booker were on a crash course for the leadership spot vacated by former Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).

Zoom out: Durbin's retirement has also ignited what could be a bitter Illinois primary battle to succeed him in the Senate, Axios reported Wednesday.

• Durbin predicted "at least a dozen" candidates will jump into the race.
• Reps. Lauren Underwood and Raja Krishnamoorthi could start out as the front-runners in the big-dollar race, according to polling data released last month.
• Krishnamoorthi has a $19 million war chest, and Underwood has over $1 million in cash on hand. Rep. Robin Kelly, another possible candidate, has $2 million in cash.