CHICAGO—Chris Kennedy, president of Merchandise Mart Properties Inc., has decided against a run for the Senate seat in Illinois.
In a statement issued this afternoon, Kennedy said he is staying in his post at MMPI. Describing himself as “a believer in Illinois,” Kennedy said that, after thinking over a potential run at the Senate seat for the past few months, “I did not want to have to leave the state in order to serve it. I realize that I would rather be a good husband and a good father than a good Washington politician.” He credited the staff at MMPI as being “the world’s best team.”
Kennedy also said his decision was not easy considering the contributions his uncle, Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), has made in his Senate career. “The examples of service to others are compelling,” he said, “and I hope to continue to find ways to use the gifts I have been given to serve the country that has been so good to me.”