Darin LaHood passes on Illinois Senate run in blow to GOP hopes
Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL) has indicated that he will not run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL).Instead, LaHood plans to seek reelection to his current seat in illinois’ 16th Congressional District. His decision marks a setback for the Illinois Republican party,which has struggled to find a strong candidate to compete for the Senate seat. LaHood, seen as an ideal contender due to his youth, downstate roots, and appeal to both trump supporters and centrist conservatives, also declined a gubernatorial run. This follows former Republican National Committee member Richard Porter’s decision not to run for the senate either. With both potential candidates out, Illinois Republicans face challenges in mounting a competitive campaign for durbin’s seat, which is currently considered safely Democratic by political analysts.
Darin LaHood appears to pass on Illinois Senate run in blow to state GOP hopes
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.
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