Tea-partying Rep. Joe Walsh, R-Ill., said he’s considering a bid for Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin’s seat in the 2014 election.
“People want me to look at that race among others,” Walsh told
Politico. “Fair to say, it’s something I’m being encouraged to take a look at, and will take a hard look at, once I get settled in the next couple of months.”
As for who’s encouraging him, Walsh said, “the best kind of people in the world — real people, activists, conservatives, and everyday Republicans all over the state.”
He also has expressed interest in taking on Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn in 2014.
Walsh, 50, served one term in the House before losing last month to Democratic Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth. The tally was 55 to 45 percent.
Durbin, 68, hasn’t officially said yet whether he’ll go for a fourth term. He will make a decision after Jan. 1, Mike Daly, Durbin’s 2008 campaign manager, told Politico. “Every indication that any of us has gotten is he’s going to run, but that’s different than saying he is,” Daly said.
A competitive race is possible only if Durbin retires, political commentators say. In 2008, he won re-election in a landslide – 68 to 29 percent – over Republican Steve Sauerberg.
A Public Policy Polling survey conducted Nov. 26-28 shows Durbin leading Walsh 54 to 29 percent.
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