Wednesday, 30 April 2025

Former Democrat Governor Asked If He Would Consider Running For Open U.S. Senate Seat As Republican

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Former Illinois Democrat Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who President Trump pardoned, hinted at possibly running for U.S. Senate as a Republican.

BREAKING: President Trump Issues Full and Unconditional Pardon for Rod Blagojevich

Breitbart asked Blagojevich about running for Illinois' open Senate seat as a Republican.

"Never say never," he told the outlet.

Per Breitbart:

Blagojevich spoke about what he predicts to be a historic midterm election — historically bad for Democrats — when host Matthew Boyle asked if he is considering a political comeback, given his past scandal while he served as the Democratic governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. Blagojevich was impeached following charges of public corruption and served nearly eight years of a 14-year sentence. President Donald Trump has since pardoned him.

“Is it something you’d consider: Running as a Republican — as a MAGA, America First Republican — for the U.S. Senate in Illinois? Or if not … what’s your advice to various possible candidates out there?” Boyle asked.

“You know, never say never,” Blagojevich replied. “It’d be quite a story, wouldn’t it? You know, coming out of prison after eight years and then returning to Washington and becoming a United States senator.”

“I’d like to say to your listeners: I didn’t break a law across the line or take a penny,” he continued. “When people ask me, ‘What is my greatest accomplishment as governor?’ I used to think it was providing affordable health care to every child in Illinois.”

Blagojevich also touted providing free public transportation to seniors and the disabled as other key accomplishments during his term.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), the second-highest ranked Democratic senator, will not seek reelection in 2026.

Second-Highest Senate Democrat To Retire – “It’s Time To Pass The Torch”

"After 28 years, Il.Sen. Dick Durbin is retiring. I knew him well when I was in Congress & Governor. He is a career politician, hyper partisan Dem. & political insider whose wife used to lobby me. I'm surprised he is leaving. Making America Great Again one retirement at a time," Blagojevich said.

Reuters reports:

Possible candidates for the Democratic nomination to succeed Durbin include U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi and Lauren Underwood, as well as Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton.

Krishnamoorthi, 51, was born in New Delhi, India and raised in Illinois. He holds a position in House Democratic leadership. Like Krishnamoorthi, Underwood, 38, represents a northern Illinois district that includes parts of Chicago.

Republicans who so far have announced their candidacy include Doug Bennett, who has held a local government position and is a former candidate for a U.S. House seat; and John Goodman, an Air Force veteran who has worked in law enforcement.

"His deep commitment to justice, his tireless advocacy for Americans in need, and his wisdom in leadership have left an indelible mark on this institution, the United States, and his beloved Illinois," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, a former Capitol Hill roommate of Durbin, said in a statement.

As the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee during President Joe Biden's tenure, Durbin helped secure the confirmation of 235 appointments to the federal judiciary, including Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, a number that surpassed Trump's first-term tally by one and included a record number of women and people of color named to the bench.


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