Should Michelle Obama run for the Senate?

A new poll suggests that she could win in her home state of Illinois

Michelle Obama: Could she follow Hillary Clinton's path from first lady to senator?
(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

"Absolutely not." That was Michelle Obama's response when asked this spring if she would ever run for president. Indeed, the first lady has consistently denied any interest in holding office, even if polls show that she's more popular than her husband. As if to test her determination to stay on the political sidelines, the Democratic-leaning firm Public Policy Polling released a poll this week that shows Mrs. Obama leading Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) 51 to 40 in a hypothetical matchup. And there's more, says Justin Sink at The Hill:

The first lady is seen positively by six in 10 voters in the state, with just a third voicing a negative opinion. That far exceeds Kirk, who carries a 34 percent approval and 19 percent disapproval rating.

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Ryu Spaeth

Ryu Spaeth is deputy editor at TheWeek.com. Follow him on Twitter.