While former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R) ponders whether to seek a 12th term next year, Democrats are not hesitating to line up for his seat. Millionaire physicist Bill Foster (D) announced last week that he would run, joining state Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia, 2006 nominee Jonathan Laesch and lawyer Jotham Stein in the Democratic field.

“A lot of the challenges that our country faces are economic and technical, and as a scientist and businessman, I can help solve them,” Foster told the Daily Herald.

Hastert’s suburban Chicago district is becoming more competitive, but it is too early in the cycle to say whether Democrats can truly compete there. A handful of Republicans would contemplate getting into the race if Hastert retired.

— Josh Kurtz