Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) seemed to sidestep a run for retiring Sen. Dick Durbin’s (D-IL) seat on Monday, telling a panel he will soon be circulating petitions to run for reelection to his House district.
At a panel moderated by NBC, LaHood said he will “look forward to passing petitions tomorrow on my reelection to the 16th Congressional District.”
His decision not to run is a severe blow to the Illinois GOP, which has been scrounging for a candidate to succeed Durbin, a longtime Illinois Democrat who’s held the seat since 1997.
The Illinois Republican also declined a run for governor. LaHood’s decision not to run in either race comes a day after former Republican National Committee National Committeeman Richard Porter told followers on Facebook he would not seek a Senate bid, either.
LaHood had seemed like the ideal candidate for the state Republicans: young, from downstate Illinois, who supports President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda while also appealing to centrist conservatives.
LaHood had told the Washington Examiner in early June he was receiving support from the state to consider a Senate campaign and was taking a “hard look” at the race.
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The last time a Republican won an Illinois Senate seat was Sen. Mark Kirk in 2010. He lost to Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) in 2017.
Republicans have insisted that the state is still in play with Durbin’s retirement, though the seat is rated solid Democrat by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. However, the party is back to square one without Porter or LaHood as it looks for a candidate.