McKenna revealed Monday that he will forgo the race, a development that could pave the way for Kirk to announce his candidacy soon.
"As party chairman, my goal has been to build party unity," McKenna said in a statement Monday. "Mark Kirk and I met last evening as part of an ongoing discussion about the U.S. Senate race. I reassured Mark that if he chooses to be a candidate, I will not oppose him."
McKenna's decision presents a positive turn for Kirk, after a hectic period last week that raised some doubts about whether he would go forward with his prospective Senate bid.
Kirk told supporters last Wednesday that he would be a candidate for the Senate. He then seemed to backtrack later in the week, as the possibility arose that McKenna would run for the Senate and pose a serious challenge to Kirk for the Republican nomination.
Kirk and his associates even had to scramble on Friday to deny a report -- published by the Washington Post -- that he would not run because of a conservative backlash to his House vote in support of a Democratic-written climate change bill last month.
Kirk is one of the more centrist Republicans in the House. This has enabled him to hold onto the seat in Illinois' 10th District, where voters in 2008 favored Democratic presidential nominee (and Illinois favorite son) Barack Obama with 61 percent of the vote while re-electing Kirk with 53 percent.
That track record is why Republican recruiters view him as a strong statewide candidate prospect in Illinois, which has been trending strongly Democratic. But, as the flap over the climate change legislation underscores, it might not please some in the party's conservative primary base who would prefer a nominee who sticks closer to the Republican party line.
The Senate race is now officially open with appointed Democratic Sen. Roland W. Burris's announcement Friday that he will not seek election in 2010. State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is an announced candidate for the Democratic nomination. Businessman Chris Kennedy -- a son of the late New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy -- and Cheryle Jackson, president of the Chicago Urban League, are weighing bids for the Democratic nomination.
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Finally some sensibility from a conservative in a left-lurching state. Just as the Bolsheviks would never run Barbara Boxer in a Southern state, conservatives have to understand that nominees have to, somewhat at least, match the profiles of the constituencies they hope to represent.
Posted by: NObama
| July 14, 2009 1:46 PM
Representative Kirk has a "Jack Ryan" problem that precludes him from becoming a candidate for statewide office. His reluctance to announce is embarrassing and is obviously based on the "Jack Ryan" situation. We will be providing a detailed analysis of his divorce on Thursday, July 16th. "On paper," Mr. Kirk may look formidable to the Beltway pundits and powerbrokers in Washington. He is a skilled practitioner at selling his public office for private gain. But in the real world, on the streets of Illinois cities and in the Republican primary, Mark Kirk is a sure loser.
If anyone wants to know why Kirk is not announcing, a perusal of our blogs will provide the answer.
Andy Martin
Republican for U. S. Senator
www.AndyMartin.com
www.andyforussenator.blogspot.com
www.andyforussenator.wordpress.com
Posted by: Andy Martin
| July 14, 2009 2:55 PM
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