Chris Cillizza is reporting that:
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) will run for re-election to her current post in 2010, according to a Democratic source aware of the decision, ending months of speculation about whether she might make the leap to a Senate or gubernatorial bid.
Like everyone else, I’m a little surprised, since polling indicated that Madigan would win either race handily and could basically have her pick of which promotion she wanted. Her rationale, though, I would guess, is that she has always had her heart set on Governor and becoming a Senator would be a distraction toward that end… and with new Governor Pat Quinn having quickly become fairly popular and solidified his status, she may feel she’s young enough to not have to roll the dice by rushing into primarying him out (and maybe she’d rather wait until the economy improves and being Governor is a less onerous job).
While this makes the 2010 Governor’s race pretty boring — Pat Quinn likely to romp over a second-string state Senator to be named later — this now makes the Senate race very interesting, as Rep. Mark Kirk may be much likelier to get in (giving the GOP a competitive figure, but also opening up IL-10 for us), and it may also attract more Dems to the crowded field (currently including Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, Kennedy Chris Kennedy, Chicago Urban League President Cheryle Jackson, and possibly incumbent placeholder Roland Burris). (H/t fitchfan28.)
Dissapointing for people that wanted her to run for the senate. But you know for her at least it might not be the worst decision, she still’s young, if she had run she probably would have faced a competitive primary in either race. It really didn’t seem like she wanted to be a senator. But if she had run for governor she would have tried to knock off an incumbant governor. And as I have posted here before, who really want’s to be a governor now? I still think the Dem’s have a good chance of holding that senate seat (providing it’s not Burris). It might be a little difficult without Madigan, but it’s still managable.
Must have scared her off. I was starting to figure she was going to fall back. She wanted a clear field for a senate race and that was obviously not going to happen. She wants a sure thing and a primary with Quinn is not, while she would have entered it with the upper hand.
If only because he can transfer all of his money he raised for his house seat to the senate race, but not the Govs race, right? I think Giannoulias can beat Kirk, and more than match it when it comes to fundraising. Obama only has to cut a few ads and Kirks done.
Now comes the big shuffle in Evanston. As I understand it, for the last year, state Rep. Julie Hamos had been preparing for an AG run, counting on Madigan primarying Blagojevich/Quinn/Burris/someone. And with her not running in the 18th district, other local Democrats were moving to run for her spot.
All of that kind of fell apart, didn’t it?
“Kennedy Chris Kennedy” is absolutely hilarious. Well done.
A nice, subtle touch to poke fun at Chris Kennedy’s qualifications for office, which include… the fact that he is a Kennedy, and that alone.