Meaning another seat to defend in Illinois for the GOP:
LaHood, a 30-year political veteran and seven-term congressman, plans to officially announce the decision Friday in his hometown of Peoria, as well as in Jacksonville and Springfield. He said in a telephone interview that he was leaving “at the top of my career” and ready to spend more quality time with his grandchildren.
“I’m going back to a normal life with my family,” he saidLaHood, 61, was a state legislator and later an aide to former House Minority Leader Bob Michel (R-Ill.) before winning his House seat in 1994. He forged a reputation for working with Democrats and for speaking his mind. In May, for example, he trekked to the White House with other House Republicans to express concerns about the progress of the war in Iraq.
Early speculation includes State Reps. Schock and Leitch.
From the Almanac of American Politics
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Cook Partisan Voting Index: R + 5
It’s a fairly heavy Republican District only surpassed in 2004 by IL-15 and IL-19 in terms of Republican performance in 2004, but none of the Illinois Districts are out of reach in what looks to be another horrible cycle for Republicans.