Progress Illinois

A few interesting tidbits regarding the 2010 congressional field in Illinois.

For starters, "several sources close to her thinking" tell the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza that Attorney General Lisa Madigan is considering a run for U.S. Senate, rather than governor. As we've noted, it's unclear how Madigan would justify a primary challenge against Gov. Quinn considering he has been in office for so little time. On the other hand, recent polling data shows Madigan to be a formidable candidate for either governor or Senate. While those results may have emboldened Madigan to keep her options open, Cillizza points out that a Madigan Senate bid is "far from a sure thing":

There are at least two reasons why she won't run: she covets the governor's office and she is sitting on more than $4 million in a state campaign account that could not be transferred to a Senate bid.

Meanwhile, judging from an interview on WIND 560's John and Cisco in the Morning today, GOP Rep. Peter Roskam appears to be backing away from the idea of a Senate run. Listen:

Internal mp3

BIG JOHN: Any thoughts on running for the Senate?

ROSKAM: I am pleased to be in the House of Representatives. The House of representatives is a place where if you want to have any influence over a period of time you really have to earn the right to be heard and the only way to do that is it takes time. My predecessor Henry Hyde ... he was there for 32 years, his influence didn't happen in a term or two or three it took a period of time. My feeling is that the Chicago Republican on the Ways and Means Committee it's a place that I can see my self staying as long as the 6th District will send me.

CISCO: Does that mean you're considering a run for Senate or not?

ROSKAM: It's increasingly less likely.

In other news, 2008 Democratic congressional candidate Scott Harper is planning to again challenge Republican incumbent Rep. Judy Biggert in the 13th District, as The Hill reports:

Businessman Scott Harper is set for a rematch with Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Ill.), after filing a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission.

Harper, who filed Friday, will try to build on his surprisingly close 54-44 loss to Biggert in 2008. Democrats are hopeful that an earlier start will allow Harper, who put together more than $1 million in a much shorter campaign last time, to be even more competitive this time around.

There's reason to believe that Biggert might be vulnerable next year. The 13th District's "Partisan Voting Index" shifted four points in the Democrats' favor this past year, suggesting it's firmly a swing district now. And unlike in 2008, national Democrats appear ready to target Biggert, with the hopes of pushing her into retirement. Already this year, they ran automated phone calls in her district explaining the benefits of the stimulus package she opposed.