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Illinois: Democrats Recruit Judge as Gill Ponders Another Run

Emergency room physician David Gill is considering a fifth House bid — and worrying Democrats who believe he’s had his turn to run.

“I haven’t ruled anything in or out either way,” Gill said in a Tuesday phone interview. “I think it was a good campaign we ran last time.”

Gill narrowly lost to GOP Rep. Rodney Davis in the competitive 13th District last November. Gill’s interest creates a potentially messy situation for Democrats, who are trying to recruit Madison County Circuit Court Chief Judge Ann Callis to run for the seat.

Democrats fêted Callis in Washington, D.C., during inauguration weekend, according to multiple sources who saw her there.

Callis did not return a message left at her chambers seeking comment. Last year, Callis considered a bid for the neighboring 12th District but eventually declined.

Additionally, Champaign Mayor Don Gerard, former Champaign County Board member Brendan McGinty and special prosecutor Matthew Goetten confirmed separately in phone interviews that they might consider running for the Democratic nomination. No one in the trio is actively pursuing a bid.

National Democrats recruited Goetten to run for the seat in 2012, but he lost to Gill in the primary.

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