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| U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (AP) |
Posted: Wednesday, 08 July 2009 3:23PM
Sources: Kirk Is Running For U.S. Senate
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CHICAGO (CBS) ― U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) is running for the U.S. Senate next year, sources told CBS 2 Wednesday afternoon.
Republican Party sources told CBS 2 that Kirk was calling around Wednesday afternoon telling people he is running for President Barack Obama's Senate seat, which is currently occupied by Roland Burris.
GOP officials in Washington said Kirk also called them Wednesday to tell them he was running.
Kirk is the first big-name Republican candidate to announce his run. On the Democratic side, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is running, and Christopher Kennedy, the son of the late Robert F. Kennedy also plans to run. Burris has also indicated that he will run for re-election, despite unpopularity stemming from his having been selected by deposed Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Democratic Party leaders had been worried that Kirk would defeat those candidates. They had been encouraging state Attorney General Lisa Madigan to run, but her spokeswoman announced Wednesday that Madigan has opted instead to run for re-election as Attorney General.
Kirk has represented the North Shore suburbs in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2001.
CBS 2 Political Producer Ed Marshall contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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