April 10--WASHINGTON -- Rep. Bill Foster, of Naperville, announced Friday that he will not challenge Republican Sen. Mark Kirk in 2016 and instead is backing another Democrat, Rep. Tammy Duckworth.
Foster, a physicist, said in a statement he wanted to avoid a "costly and, ultimately unnecessary, primary" election.
He said he will serve as co-chairman of Duckworth's finance committee to help her raise cash for her race.
Duckworth, from Hoffman Estates, was elected to Congress in 2012 after losing both her legs in the Iraq War in 2004. Foster said Duckworth "has proven time and again -- on the battlefield and in the halls of Congress -- that she is dedicated to serving our country, and in particular the people of the great state of Illinois."
He follows Rep. Cheri Bustos of East Moline in weighing a bid against Kirk, then deciding to sit out the race.
Kirk, who is from Highland Park, first entered the Senate in 2010 after nearly 10 years in the House of Representatives. The 2016 contest will be his first Senate re-election fight.
Another Democrat, Rep. Robin Kelly of Matteson, has been considering a challenge to Kirk. Her aides could not immediately be reached for comment Friday on a possible run.
kskiba@tribpub.com
@KatherineSkiba
