Illinois Races: David Hoffman for U.S. Senate

Former Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman is looking to replace Roland Burris in what is bound to be a heated contest for the U.S. Senate seat that once belonged to President Barack Obama.

Hoffman is facing a tough challenge against Giannoulias -- who has more money and is considered a frontrunner in the race -- and Cheryle Jackson, the only black candidate running for the seat that has been held by at least three black senators since 1999.

Still, Hoffman's firm stance against corruption could be a valuable asset in the first post-Blagojevich election.

“If I’m the Democratic nominee, I take the corruption issue off the table,” Hoffman told WLS-AM radio in September. “What Mark Kirk and the Republicans have been showing is that they would like to run on the issue of corruption in the fall. We need to be choosing people who don’t have any connections to the cozy relationships and corrupt politics of the past.”

Hoffman met with White House adviser David Axelrod in October, just weeks after his main opponent Alexi Giannoulias stopped by the same office. No endorsements will be made until after the Feb. 2 primary results.