Madigan may switch to IL Senate race

by: Matt

Mon May 11, 2009 at 16:00:00 PM EDT

llinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) has been focused on running for Governor in 2010. But with Blagojevich successor Pat Quinn (D) seemingly doing well, Madigan's eyes may be turning to the Senate race:

[with] a new poll conducted by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee showing her cruising to the Senate seat, Madigan is at least entertaining the possibility of running to join the world's greatest deliberative body. Madigan would likely still start as the favorite in the governor's race but even those close to her acknowledge that the path to the Senate is less cluttered.

If she runs, she would drastically shake up the current Democratic field. State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is widely seen as the current frontrunner but would likely struggle to keep his support from the party establishment in the face of a Madigan candidacy.
...
And appointed Sen. Roland Burris has yet to make any announcement about his future political plans but is widely regarded as superfluous to the conversation as he was badly damaged from his ties to Blagojevich and his decision to to raise money for a re-election bid in the first three months of the year. -Washington Post

DemConWatch currently has the race rated as Democrat-Strong.