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Illinois: New Schakowsky Poll Signals Senate Interest

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D) released a poll Monday that tested her potential Senate candidacy, and the results showed her in a statistical dead heat with state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) in the February 2010 primary.

The six-term Democrat led Giannoulias, 24 percent to 22 percent, with 36 percent undecided. Giannoulias is the only announced candidate in the race so far, after former Commerce Secretary Bill Daley (D) announced last week that he would not run.

Appointed Sen. Roland Burris (D), who has not announced yet whether he will seek a full term, scored 18 percent of the vote in the poll. Burris was appointed to the seat by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D), who was indicted on 19 counts of corruption earlier this month.

The poll is a sure sign that the Northside Chicago Democrat is seriously looking at the race. Schakowsky wrote in an e-mail from her campaign that she will have to make a “gut check— before she decides to run.

“I have a very precious seat,— Schakowsky wrote. “I am privileged to represent a marvelous district, I have ten years of seniority in the House, I am part of the leadership team, I sit on the key committees deciding our energy, health and national security policies.—

Schakowsky also said she will make a decision by June 8 about whether to run for Senate or for re-election to her safely Democratic House seat.

Schakowsky paid for the Lake Research Partners survey, which took the opinion of 600 likely Democratic primary voters April 19-22 and had a margin of error of 4 points.

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