Halvorson to seek Democratic nomination to replace Weller
Illinois Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson, D-Crete, will run next year for the 11th Congressional District seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Jerry Weller, R-Morris.
Halvorson made the announcement Tuesday. Another possible Democratic contender for the job, Illinois Wesleyan University professor Tari Renner, still is weighing whether to enter the race.
Renner, who unsuccessfully challenged Weller in 2004, said recently that his decision on whether to run in 2008 would depend partly on what Halvorson did. On Tuesday, he said her candidacy makes him "a little less likely" to run.
"But I'm not ruling it out because she's in," he added, referring to Halvorson as "a longtime Springfield insider."
Halvorson and any other Democratic hopefuls for the 11th Congressional District would square off in a Feb. 5 partisan primary, with the winner advancing to the November 2008 general election.
Halvorson said she believes she can have a greater impact on issues -- such as health care -- at the federal level, rather than at the state level. She said she believes the U.S. troops in Iraq should be brought home, but she doesn't have a timetable for accomplishing that.
As Senate Majority Leader, a post second only to President Emil Jones, Halvorson is poised to perhaps become the first female president of the Senate someday.
"At the end of the day, it's not about me," Halvorson said of her decision to run for Congress. "It's not about what I could someday be. It's about the people, and that's why I've chosen to move on to do something that, I believe, is going to be in the best interests of the 11th District."
Halvorson, 49, has served in the Senate since 1997.
Because Halvorson's present term is not up until 2010, she could return to the Senate if she loses the congressional race.
When a reporter pointed that out, she said, "You know what? I never thought of , because to me, losing is not an option. I don't plan on losing."
A potential Republican candidate for the 11th Congressional District, state Sen. Christine Radogno of Lemont, said she has decided not to run for the federal post. Instead, she will run for re-election in the Senate.
Radogno said she made that decision for several reasons, including the fact that she likes her current job and would have to leave the Senate to seek the congressional seat. Her Senate term is up in 2008. She could not run for the state Senate and the U.S. Congress at the same time.
The 11th district consists of all of LaSalle, Grundy and Kankakee counties, most of Bureau and Will counties, roughly the western half of McLean County and pieces of eastern and southern Woodford County.
Adriana Colindres can be reached at (217) 782-6292 or Adriana.colindres@sj-r.com