HARVEY, Ill. (AP) – A former professional football player-turned-Illinois lawmaker joined the Democratic race for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, setting up a three-way contest for the chance to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk.
State Sen. Napoleon Harris returned to his former high school’s athletic building in the south Chicago suburb of Harvey to announce he’s challenging Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth and former Chicago Urban League CEO Andrea Zopp in the March primary.
Both Zopp and Harris are African-American, leading to speculation they could split the African-American vote and help Duckworth – who has the backing of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee and is considered the favorite in the race so far – seal the nomination.
But both candidates rejected that idea, with Zopp saying her reach is “much broader than the African-American community” and Harris saying he has his own base of support.
“You play to win the game,” said Harris, who owns a chain of pizza restaurants and was first elected to office in 2012.