Belleville attorney William Enyart, adjutant general of the Illinois National Guard, confirmed Friday he was approached by 12th District Democrats to run for Congress in November in place of Brad Harriman.

Enyart said he is considering whether to run for the office, but, as of now, is undecided.

"I have had some people approach me and I think that is a great compliment," Enyart said. "I plan to sit down with my wife and family to discuss it."

Enyart is married to retired St. Clair County Circuit Judge Annette Eckert. He said he was called about 5 p.m. Wednesday about the position, a day after Harriman announced he would drop out of the race for health reasons. He wouldn't reveal who spoke with him.

St. Clair County Democratic Party Chairman Robert Sprague could not be reached for comment. Sprague has nearly half the say in who will be placed on the ballot, thanks to a weighted balloting system that gives votes to each party chairman in the 12 counties in the district, based on the number of votes cast in the March primary.

Enyart said he was told a meeting of the Democratic chairmen to start the replacement process will likely be next week.

A major general, Enyart was named head of the Illinois National Guard five years ago. He said he would be required to give up that position -- which he called "the greatest job in the world" -- to make the run for Congress.

Enyart has never run for an elected office. He said he didn't know whether he would run for one term or if he would be in politics for the long haul, should he win.

"I haven't even got anywhere near that far down the road yet," Enyart said.

Should he run, Enyart said he would most miss working with "a lot of fine airmen and a lot of fine soldiers" if he left the National Guard. He said his most proud work was helping people recover from natural disasters such as floods and blizzards.

He enlisted in the Air Force in 1969 and was on active duty for four years, two with the 375th Medivac Group at Scott Air Force Base and two with the 824th Combat Group in Okinawa.

When asked about his political philosophy, Enyart said he was uncomfortable with being labeled.

"I serve the American people and the people of the state of Illinois," Enyart said. "I make sure the president of the United States has trained and ready soldiers and airmen in case he needs them and that the governor of Illinois has trained and ready soldiers if he needs them."

A lack of political experience isn't necessarily a liability, Enyart said. He said he has a long track history of working with the federal, state and local governments to get things done.

Enyart went to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for his undergraduate studies and attended law school at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where he graduated in 1979. He practiced law in Belleville until he took his current position with the National Guard.

Harriman announced Tuesday he was dropping out of the race because of a non-life threatening neurological problem. The person Democrats select will run against Republican Jason Plummer to fill the seat of retiring U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Belleville.

So far, a number of other names have surfaced as potential Democratic candidates. However, three prominent Democrats, St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern, state Rep. Jerry Costello II and former state Rep. Jay Hoffman, all have said they are not interested in the job.

Contact reporter Scott Wuerz at swuerz@bnd.com or call 239-2626.

Contact reporter Scott Wuerz at swuerz@bnd.com or call 239-2626.