Palatine's Murphy says he'll vie for governor

SPRINGFIELD -- Palatine Republican state Sen. Matt Murphy said Monday his candidacy for Illinois governor is an opportunity for the state Republican party to break away from its past.

In recent years, the Illinois GOP has fallen on hard times. Democrats control every statewide office and both houses of the General Assembly by wide margins. Former Republican Gov. George Ryan was sentenced to federal prison after his term ended in 2003, and the state party had to reach all the way to Maryland to get Alan Keyes to run against Barack Obama for the U.S. Senate in 2004.

"If you have a standard-bearer who's not of that era, it's just more proof that you have moved on," Murphy said. "I've never even met George Ryan."

Murphy, a first-term suburban state senator, confirmed to the Daily Herald Monday that he's definitely running for Illinois governor in 2010.

"If we're going to have any success at restoring some balance to our political system here and some accountability for the last eight years, we've got to be in a position to offer a credible alternative and articulate a different vision for the state," Murphy said.

That different vision starts on Tuesday when the General Assembly returns to Springfield in special session to work on a budget compromise. Murphy said he won't be voting to raise taxes.

"We have no priority greater than doing everything we can to keep people who are working today in their job and help those who have lost a job already to find a new one. Nothing matters more than that, which is why I'm adamantly opposed to the tax increase, because I believe it will take our double-digit unemployment and make it even worse," Murphy said

"From there, you still need to fund the priorities as responsibly as you can, and we can do a better job of it than the Democrats' budget that passed did, without raising taxes," Murphy said.

Murphy will likely face at least two fellow Republican senators in the gubernatorial primary: Bill Brady of Bloomington has already announced his campaign, while Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale is considering a run. DuPage County Board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom and DuPage State's Attorney Joe Birkett are also testing the waters. Congressman Mark Kirk is reportedly deciding between running for governor or for the U.S. Senate. Batavia's Doug Whitley has already dropped out of the race.

No candidate has formally filed for the race to date since nominating petitions won't be available until the fall. But Murphy is confident he will prevail.

"I think I've got an excellent chance. I think on our side I give us the best chance to win," Murphy said.

Murphy's planning a formal campaign kickoff event in July. The Daily Herald first reported Murphy's interest in the governor's race in early May when he was widely considered to be a candidate for Cook County Board President. He said Democratic incumbent Todd Stroger "hasn't been terribly effective."

"One of the things that drew me to looking at that was making sure he didn't get another four years. I think there's a strong chance his days as county board president will be ended before a Republican ever gets a chance to do it," Murphy said.

Murphy said he doesn't know which Republican will run in Cook County but said that 2006 GOP gubernatorial candidate Ron Gidwitz would be a "credible, strong candidate."

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=291178">Palatine state Sen. Murphy eyeing run for governor <span class="date">[05/05/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>