Report: Mark Kirk to announce bid for US Senate Seat

North Shore Republican U.S. Rep.

Mark Kirk will announce his long-expected foray into the U.S. Senate race Monday, sources familiar with his decision said Wednesday.

The move comes after the five-term congressman kicked around the idea of seeking the Senate seat since December, when disgraced then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointed Democrat Roland Burris to the seat vacated by President Barack Obama and Democrats made initial demands for a special election. But those calls dried up as Burris fought to keep the seat and Democratic Senate leaders feared that the Blagojevich scandal could result in a GOP victory.

Republican Rep. Mark Kirk will announce Monday he's running for the Senate seat once held by President Barack Obama that has been mired in controversy since Illinois' former governor was accused of trying to sell it, an Illinois Republican told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

National GOP strategists see the congressman from Chicago's northern suburbs as their best shot to take the seat now held by Sen. Roland Burris from Democrats in 2010.

Rep. Mark Steven Kirk (R-Ill.) will announce a statewide run on Monday, according to a release just sent from his office. The notice doesn't say what office, but Kirk has been making calls to line up support for a Senate run. Kirk's campaign kick off will be somewhere in the northern suburbs.