State Sen. Michael Bond (D) has dropped out of the race for Rep. Mark Kirk’s (R) open House seat, leaving behind a competitive primary featuring two well-known local Democrats.

“After careful consideration, I have decided not to seek the Democratic nomination for Congress in the Tenth District, and will instead seek re-election to the Illinois Senate,— Bond said in a statement Friday.

Bond was the first Democrat to announce he was running for the suburban Chicago seat this spring, when it was still unclear whether Kirk was going to run for Senate. Kirk officially announced his Senate campaign last month, touching off a highly competitive Democratic primary in the race to succeed him.

With Bond out, state Rep. Julie Hamos and marketing consultant Dan Seals, the party’s nominee in 2006 and 2008, are the leading Democratic contenders for Kirk’s seat.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee targeted Kirk’s north Chicagoland district last cycle, dumping millions into the race in an effort to win the seat. Kirk’s departure to run for Senate gives Democrats their best opportunity to win the district since he was first elected in 2000.

Meanwhile, attorney Bill Cadigan became the latest Republican name to surface as a possible candidate exploring getting into the race. Cadigan, like Kirk, is a one-time aide to former Rep. John Porter (R), who held the seat before Kirk.