Pat Quinn says he wants to run for attorney general

Former Gov. Pat Quinn told the Chicago Sun-Times Friday that he wants to run for Illinois attorney general.

"I want to be the lawyer for the people," Quinn told Michael Sneed in an interview.

"And I intend to present my case for a primary bid next Friday to the Democratic Cook County Party," he said.

Quinn, governor from 2009 to 2015, said he would come armed with a poll that "indicates I'd make a formidable contender" for the seat that Lisa Madigan will be vacating after the November 2018 election.

Quinn claims a statewide phone poll of 1,047 likely Democratic voters conducted this month by Public Policy Polling shows him leading six contenders vying to become the state's attorney general, netting him an overall lead with 28 percent of the vote.

Madigan announced last month she wouldn't seek re-election.

The other Democratic candidates are Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering, state Rep. Scott Drury, state Sen. Kwame Raoul, former State Board of Education Chairman Jesse Ruiz, former assistant U.S. attorney Renato Mariotti, and Sharon Fairley, former head of Chicago's police oversight agency.

Attorney and former Miss America Erika Harold is seeking the Republican nomination.

Read the full story at chicago.suntimes.com.