Tuesday, April 15, 2003

Fitzgerald Not Seeking Re-Election

Praise Jeebus.

First-term U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (R-Ill.) told close associates Monday night that he would not seek re-election next year, saying he had "no fire in the belly" and citing concerns about the personal cost of another campaign and the lament that his independence had left him with few political friends, sources said.

Neither Fitzgerald, 42, nor his top aides responded to requests for comment as questions about his political future swirled from Washington to Chicago. But sources said he began notifying close political supporters of his decision late Monday.