Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes announced Thursday that he will challenge Gov. Pat Quinn in a Democratic primary next February.

“It’s not an overstatement to say that Illinois is facing its greatest crisis in generations,” Hynes said in a statement that was e-mailed to supporters. “We need a governor who can provide strong and consistent leadership for smart budget policies that will put us on solid fiscal ground.”

Pat Quinn(CQ/Scott J. Ferrell)

Hynes was first elected comptroller in 1998 and was re-elected in 2002 and 2006. He ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004 and placed second in the Democratic primary to Barack Obama.  

Quinn, a former lieutenant governor, has served as governor since January, when the Illinois legislature ousted Democratic Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich on corruption charges.