* 12:42 pm - Rep. Beth Coulson (R-Glenview) just confirmed a report earlier this morning that she is preparing to announce for the open 10th Congressional District seat. Coulson told me she’s planning an announcement this coming Monday.
Coulson is a moderate Republican who should fit that district pretty well. Several other candidates are already in the race, or saying they’re in the race, but Rep. Coulson should probably be considered the frontrunner.
Her decision to run will likely give the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee some serious heartburn. Like incumbent Republican Mark Kirk, she’s been able to win time and time again in a Democratic-leaning district in strong Dem years.
This is a major loss for the Illinois House Republicans, who will have a big, expensive fight on their hands to hold onto that district.
From Team America’s scoop earlier today…
At last night’s Lake County Republican Central Committee meeting, State Representative Beth Coulson told the assembled crowd that she’s in for the 10th District race to succeed outgoing Congressman Mark Kirk. As we noted a few weeks ago, Coulson has been mulling jumping into the race, and told Team America that she plans to make a formal announcement this coming Monday, somewhere in the northern part of the district–perhaps near Rosalind Franklin University (formerly the Chicago Medical School) where she previously was a professor of physical therapy. Health care, as you might expect, will be a primary focus of her campaign.
Thoughts?