Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) said Thursday that he is “looking very hard” at running for Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat and urged the political leadership in Illinois to hold a special election to fill the vacancy rather than allow a gubernatorial appointment.
In an interview with Politico, Kirk said he was concerned that the state Legislature was moving away from its original plan to pass legislation calling for a special election.
Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, who would succeed Gov. Rod Blagojevich if he resigned, said Thursday that, if he becomes governor, he’d rather appoint Obama's replacement than wait for a special election.
Kirk said he would not be satisfied if Quinn filled the vacancy.
“At this point, everyone is tainted. In order to restore the trust of the people of Illinois in their representatives, this decision should not be made by people connected to a corrupt government,” said Kirk.
“We should return this seat to the people who own it — not the corrupt government. In this state, trust has been broken between the state of Illinois and its people.”
Kirk would be a strong contender and is giving national Republicans hope they have a shot at picking up a seat that was certain to remain in Democratic hands. A naval officer, Kirk has a clean image with no ties to Springfield or the Chicago political machine. And he has prevailed in two tough campaigns in his suburban Chicago district, giving him invaluable name identification for a statewide campaign.
Kirk said he left a message this morning with Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.), another potential Republican contender, to inform him that he is strongly considering a run for the seat if there is a special election.
Asked if he supports Obama’s agenda, Kirk said: “The people of Illinois expect you to use your own judgment. They want you to work with the president wherever possible and hold him and members of his Cabinet accountable when needed.”
Kirk’s call for a special election is being echoed by prominent Republicans, including Republican National Committee chairman Mike Duncan and incoming NRSC chairman John Cornyn (R-Texas)
Republicans believe they were handed a gift when Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) called for the Illinois Legislature to pass legislation as soon as possible calling for a special election. Since then, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has contradicted his deputy, preferring the seat be filled by appointment, and not by a special election.
Reid wrote a letter to Blagojevich yesterday calling for Blagojevich to resign so that a new governor can appoint Obama’s successor as soon as possible.
Cornyn said Reid’s approach is a mistake. “The next senator from Illinois should be chosen by the people of Illinois, not Washington kingmakers,” Cornyn said.
“It's my hope that Sen. Reid will stop corresponding with the soon-to-be indicted governor and listen to his colleague Sen. Durbin and the other members of the Illinois congressional delegation who are in support of a special election."
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16505.html
