Joe Birkett was interested in an open seat last time I heard. Don’t know how good he really is.
Birkett shouldn’t run, statewide, in 2010. Too many Illinois Republicans ran for statewide office, lost, and ran in a second statewide campaign, thinking that the first campaign would help them win the second race. However, those candidates usually lost the second race. In 1996 and ’98, Al Salvi ran statewide races and lost both of them. In 2002, ’04, and ’06, Jim Oberweis ran statewide campaigns and lost all of them. In 2002 and ’06 Joe Birkett ran statewide campaigns and lost both of them. In 2004 and ’06, Steve Rauschenberger ran statewide campaigns and lost both of them. If Birkett runs, statewide, in 2010, he’ll lose again, and I don’t want him to lose another campaign. When his state senator or state rep. retires, he should run for that seat.