2010 Senate Race Revs Up

By Kevin Robinson in News on Mar 3, 2009 3:20PM

There is evidence that Roland Burris does not have plans to quietly go away at the end of his appointed term. A barely assembled website with the URL http://supportburris.com emerged yesterday with the banner "Roland Burris for U.S. Senate - Support Roland Burris in 2010." The site also includes an option for visitors to donate money. This morning, the site has more meat to it and while Burris has issued no public statement about the website or 2010, his staff confirmed the website was, indeed, legit. So now that we know Burris is gunning for 2010, who will he face? We've heard before he could be up against Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky in the Democratic primary. But another name emerged yesterday that makes things a little more interesting.

In a press release Monday morning, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias announced that he was forming an exploratory committee to consider a run for U.S. Senate in 2010. Making no mention of the current Burris controversy, Giannoulias cited his supporters as the reason behind his decision.

"More than ever, we need a Senator who can deliver on the change that President Obama has promised our nation," said Giannoulias, noting that he has received a tremendous response from Illinois residents encouraging him to pursue the Senate seat.

Giannoulias, the state's chief investment officer, says restoring the public's trust and confidence in government, reviving the economy and getting Illinoisans back to work would serve as his top priorities.

"Working families in Illinois and throughout the nation are facing serious financial challenges during this economic downturn," Giannoulias said. "They are hungry for new leadership and solutions."

Giannoulias has been rumored to have been interested in the seat, and Senator Dick Durbin has expressed support for his candidacy, should he choose to run.