Keyes a finalist
to face Obama

CHICAGO >> A nearly six-week search for a new Republican U.S. Senate candidate to take on Hawaii-born Democrat Barack Obama produced two finalists yesterday -- former presidential hopeful Alan Keyes and former Bush administration deputy drug czar Andrea Grubb Barthwell.

Race for the Senate The GOP named two finalists to run for a U.S. Senate seat in Illinois against Hawaii-born Democrat Barack Obama Alan Keyes, GOP: Former ambassador to the U.N. Andrea Barthwell, GOP: Was Bush's deputy drug czar

GOP state chairwoman Judy Baar Topinka announced last night that party leaders would interview Keyes and Barthwell today and then choose one to take on the heavily favored Obama.

Jack Ryan, the Republican primary winner, dropped his Senate campaign in late June over embarrassing allegations about his sex life.

Party leaders repeatedly tried and failed to reel in a big-name candidate -- former governors, state senators, even former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka.

Barthwell, a physician from the Chicago suburb of River Forest, was deputy director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy from 2002 until last month, when she quit to explore a Senate run.

Keyes, a former ambassador to the United Nations, ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate twice from his home state of Maryland and sought the Republican presidential nomination in 1996 and 2000. He has never lived in Illinois but under state law would only have to take up residence by election day, Nov. 2.

The finalists were named after more than a dozen largely unknown hopefuls made their cases to the Republican leaders.

The GOP candidate will have less than three months to raise cash and campaign against Obama, a state senator from Chicago who has raised more than $10 million.

Obama, a 1979 Punahou graduate who grew up in Hawaii, drew national attention when he gave the keynote address last week at the Democratic National Convention.