Carbondale Mayor to Run for Lt. Gov.

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Mayor Brad Cole from one of Southern Illinois' signature cities will run for Illinois Lt. Governor in the 2010 primary.

The Carbondale mayor will run as a Republican, and cites the aimlessness of Illinois' leadership and the lack of both a budget and fiscal responsibility as his reasons for running.

Cole said he is perfectly happy in his role as mayor of Carbondale--home to SIU and a large retail economy--and the $9,000 annual salary it commands, but said his candidacy is driven by the fact there seems to be few others with the fiscal mindset that he possesses.

Cole sent out a mailer about five weeks ago hinting at the bid.

His campaign fund already has more than $52,000 in it.