Durbin not endorsing Emanuel yet

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Sunday failed to endorse White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel as a candidate for Chicago mayor next year.

Emanuel has been recently rumored to have considerable interest in running in the city’s mayoral campaign to replace Mayor Richard Daley, which would mean stepping down as President Obama’s right hand man.

Durbin replied “no” when asked on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Candy Crowley whether he would endorse Emanuel at this time.

The second-highest ranking Senate Democrats and senior senator from Illinois said thee are too many potential candidates eyeing the race at this point and that Emanuel must first leave his post with Obama if he wants to have a realistic shot at becoming the city’s next mayor.

“There have got to be 10 or 20 viable names that are out there, and I’ve said to Rahm Emanuel, if you want to run you can’t do it from the White House, you’ve got to do it from the Loop in Chicago,” said Durbin.