U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, elder statesmen of opposing parties, did something Tuesday night that, nowadays, may seem unusual in politics.

They agreed. The two came together at Braden Auditorium at Illinois State University for a question-and-answer session moderated by WGLT's Charlie Schlenker, in the first of a series of Democracy Dialogues. The program was the first in a series of Democracy Dialogues throughout 2026 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.