DOCTOR EXPLORES RUNNING FOR GOP SENATE SEAT

She has never run for political office. Few party leaders or Illinois
voters know much about her. And she doesn't have a personal fortune to
finance a campaign.

But Dr. Andrea Grubb Barthwell believes her experience fighting the
war on drugs and her moderate views could make her just the candidate
to step in for Republican Senate nominee Jack Ryan.

"I'm not afraid of a hard run," Barthwell said. "I bring a set of
skills and abilities that would make this an interesting race."

And she sees an advantage in being an African- American woman vying
against Democratic nominee Barack Obama, who is often touted in the
media as the mostly likely prospect to become only the third black
U.S. senator since Reconstruction.

"It removes the race card from consideration," Barthwell said. "And it
forces the discussion to be on the issues."

Barthwell, 50, who lives in west suburban River Forest, is still
unsure whether she can put together the money and party support to be
a viable candidate.

But she is serious enough that she quit her job Friday as a deputy
director in the Office of National Drug Control Policy so she could
interview with party leaders. She said she had to quit to avoid
violating laws that prohibit federal employees from engaging in
political activity.

She describes herself as a moderate Republican, supporting abortion
rights but opposing so-called partial birth abortions and supporting
efforts to protect gays and lesbians from discrimination and rejecting
President Bush's proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex
marriages.

Barthwell does have some work to do with party leaders.

When the Associated Press asked House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert about
Barthwell, the Illinois Republican responded. "Who? Don't know her."

Barthwell called her lack of name recognition a "challenge for which a
strategy would have to be developed."

"I've been working as a physician in this area for close to 20 years
in Illinois," she said. "My work has touched the lives of hundreds of
thousands in Illinois. While I may not be well-known to party
leadership, I am very well-known -- and my work has been appreciated
- -- at a community level."