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Joe Walsh, Governor? Defeated Illinois Congressman Mulls His Next Steps

Governor Walsh? Defeated Tea Party Rep Mulls Next Steps
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Following his resounding defeat by Democrat Tammy Duckworth Tuesday, Tea Party-affiliated U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) is considering what his post-Congress life might entail.

In an interview with the Daily Herald published Wednesday, the congressman did not rule out a 2014 gubernatorial run as he suggested that "Democrats have ruined" the state of Illinois while weak Republican leadership has "allowed them to." He also left the door open to the interviewer's suggestion that he consider becoming a television pundit.

"People approach me every day and ask, 'Walsh, are you going to run for the governor? Are you going to run for Senate?'" Walsh told the newspaper. "I want to do my part to lead a movement to present a vision to this. I’d rather go down fighting."

Wednesday is, indeed, not the first time Walsh has been asked about his possible gubernatorial aspirations in Illinois. In July, the vocal congressman told conservative blog Illinois Review that his race against Duckworth was "the race of his life" and that, beyond that, "after everything I've been through, there's something going on. So wherever it takes me, it takes me somewhere."

Walsh lost to Duckworth Tuesday by nearly 10 percentage points in one of the nation's most closely watched congressional races. Nearly $6.6 million in outside spending was reported in Illinois' 8th congressional district contest, including $2.7 million worth of ads attacking Duckworth poured into the race by conservative super PACs in the race's final days.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that a total of $7 million was spent by Walsh or on his behalf on Duckworth attack ads, meaning that each of his 99,922 votes cost about $70.

Walsh likely alienated many voters with his outspokenness, including his repeated attacks on Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran and double amputee, for speaking "too much" about her military service. At one point, Walsh implied that his Democratic challenger wasn't a "true hero." At another point in his campaign, he screamed in the face of a female constituent at a town-hall event.

The Tea Party congressman also attracted national attention last month when he stated that he was opposed to abortion, including in circumstances when the life of the mother is at stake.

The last Republican elected as Illinois' governor, George Ryan, took office in 1999 and is currently serving a 6 1/2-year sentence on a 2006 corruption conviction at an Indiana prison. Ryan's Democratic successor, Rod Blagojevich, is also currently imprisoned on a corruption conviction.

WATCH: Walsh's Tuesday concession speech:

View more videos at: http://nbcchicago.com.

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Before You Go

Rep. Joe Walsh's Most Outrageous Statements
Obama 'really isn't smart enough' to know what a tyrant is(01 of07)
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At a June 16 town hall event in Elmhurst, Ill., Walsh called President Barack Obama a "tyrant" for announcing an immigration policy change that allows some young undocumented immigrants to stay in the country. Walsh then corrected himself, saying Obama "really isn't smart enough to know what that means." (credit:AP)
Democrats want 'African-Americans dependent on government'(02 of07)
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Walsh accused minority groups of being dependent on the federal government during a late April speech in Schaumburg, Ill. Walsh told constituents that Democrats "want Hispanics to be dependent on government just like they got African-Americans dependent on government. That's their game." (credit:AP)
On Democratic opponent's military service(03 of07)
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In a March interview with Politico's Dave Catanese, Walsh brushed off Democratic opponent Tammy Duckworth's military service. "I have so much respect for what she did in the fact that she sacrificed her body for this country," Walsh said of the double-amputee veteran of the Iraq War. "Ehhh. Now let's move on." (credit:AP)
Obama elected because he 'was black, he was historic'(04 of07)
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In a May 2011 interview with Slate's Dave Weigel, Walsh said President Barack Obama was elected because of his race. "Why was he elected? Again, it comes back to who he was. He was black, he was historic," Walsh told Weigel. (credit:AP)
'I don't care about the loss of public sector jobs'(05 of07)
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When a constituent asked Walsh he supported saving post office jobs, he shot back, "I don't care about the loss of public sector jobs," according to the constituent's account. His remarks came at the end of a heated town hall event in Gurnee, Ill., where Walsh interrupted constituents discussing bank lobbyists in Congress. "Don't blame banks, and don't blame the marketplace for the mess we're in right now!" Walsh shouted at attendees. "I am tired of hearing that crap! This pisses me off!" (credit:AP)
'The country voted for' Obama because of his race(06 of07)
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Walsh rehashed his previous claims that Barack Obama was elected president because of his race during an April town hall event in Illinois. "He's our first African-American president," Walsh told constituents. "The country voted for him because of that." (credit:AP)
Double-amputee Democratic opponent not a 'true hero'(07 of07)
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Walsh criticized Democratic opponent Tammy Duckworth -- a double-amputee veteran of the Iraq War -- for making her military service central to her campaign and thus not being a "true hero." "Now I'm running against a woman who, my God, that's all she talks about," Walsh told constituents at a town hall event in Elk Grove, Ill., on Sunday. "Our true heroes, it's the last thing in the world they talk about." (credit:AP)
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