By AP
Wheaton, IL – DuPage County state's attorney Joe Birkett says he has decided not to run for Illinois attorney general.
Birkett issued a video release last month saying he planned to run. But on a note posted Thursday on his campaign web site he says he is dropping out.
Birkett initially welcomed a chance to face off against Democratic incumbent Lisa Madigan for the post. But he says Madigan can raise far more money than he could and that it would be wrong to ask people to contribute to a campaign when he sees no virtually no way he could win.
In 2006, Birkett was the running mate of unsuccessful Republican gubernatorial candidate Judy Baar Topinka. In 2002, he ran unsuccessfully for attorney general against Madigan.
