Illinois Will Get Black Senator

Illinois Republicans have narrowed their search for a replacement U.S. Senate candidate to two black politicians, adding a twist to a campaign that has centered on rising Democratic star Barack Obama.

State party chairwoman Judy Baar Topinka said Republican leaders will interview two-time presidential candidate Alan Keyes and Andrea Grubb Barthwell, a former deputy drug czar in the Bush administration, on Wednesday and then choose one to take on Obama, a black state senator from Chicago.

Their choice seemingly assures Illinois will produce only the fifth black U.S. senator in history.

Republican leaders, who have struggled to find a candidate since primary winner Jack Ryan dropped out nearly six weeks ago over embarrassing allegations in his divorce records, said race was not their motivating factor.

"These two were selected because of their strengths, not because of their color," said state Sen. Dave Syverson, a member of the Republican State Central Committee.

"You don't intentionally put up a person just to try to counterbalance" a black opponent, Syverson said.

He said the committee spent more than three hours debating the strengths and weaknesses of more than a dozen candidates - most of whom appeared for face-to-face interviews Tuesday.

Keyes could not make it to Chicago, but Syverson talked to the committee on his behalf. By delaying the decision until Wednesday, the committee gave Keyes time to get to Chicago for an interview. Syverson said Keyes did not want to talk to reporters Tuesday night.

Barthwell, a physician from suburban Chicago, was deputy director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy from 2002 until last month, when she quit to explore the Senate run.

Keyes ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate twice from his home state of Maryland and sought the Republican presidential nomination in 1996 and 2000. He has never lived in Illinois but under state law would only have to take up residence by Election Day, Nov. 2.

Republicans have suffered a string of disappointments since Ryan dropped his Senate campaign over sex club allegations - which he has denied - that surfaced in divorce papers filed by his ex-wife, television actress Jeri Ryan.

Party leaders failed to reel in a big-name candidate to run for the seat of retiring GOP Sen. Peter Fitzgerald - former governors, state senators, even Chicago Bears great Mike Ditka.

Whoever is chosen will have just three months to raise cash and campaign against Obama, who has raised more than $10 million and was tapped to give the keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention last week.

Barthwell said the committee asked her about allegations that she engaged in "lewd and abusive behavior" while serving in the White House drug policy office.

An internal inquiry found last year that Barthwell made repeated comments about the sexual orientation of a staff member and used a kaleidoscope to make sexually offensive gestures.

"It was a regrettable incident, and I took responsibility for it, and we resolved it to everyone's satisfaction," she said Tuesday.