From the Chicago Sun-Times:
Newly appointed Sen. Roland Burris opened a campaign fund to raise money for a 2010 election bid as it looks like he may face a Democratic primary challenge: State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is mulling a Senate run, and Rep. Jan Schakowsky isn’t ruling it out.
Trust me on this — Giannoulias, who the ability to self-finance a campaign, is looking very closely at challenging Burris. Schakowsky is also considering her first statewide run. An issue for Burris — in office for a week — would be to explain to Illinois voters in the February 2010 Democratic Illinois primary why he took an appointment from the tainted Gov. Blagojevich…
http://www.politico.com/blogs/…
Burris is not acceptable as the nominee in 2010. He will lose to a Repub, period.
That he runs for re-election. In fact, if you asked me to make a wager right now I’d say he opts out of a run.
Having said that, his narrow chances of being elected go up with every credible candidate that enters the race. I don’t expect to see another African-American enter the race, and so I think Burris is probably guranteed atleast 25% of the vote but because of the Blago ties will probably not get more than 35% of the race. In a 4+ person race, he could actually pull it out.
I just visited his office’s website, and I am quite impressed. He’s very young (only 32 I believe) and has done some pretty impressive things in the normally sleepy office of treasurer. I think he’d make a great senator. Schackowsky too, if she can clear up that business with her husband.