Democrat who Withdrew from Lt. Governor’s Race Runs for Governor Instead

The candidate who won the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor only to pull out of the race amid scandal now says he wants to be Illinois' governor.

In a statement Monday, Scott Lee Cohen says he plans to get on the November ballot as an independent.

Cohen quit the lieutenant governor's race amid accusations of failure to pay child support and holding a knife to his girlfriend's throat.

He says he's running because he's tired of mismanagement in Illinois government.

Cohen says he isn't perfect but he's honest. And he says Illinois needs honesty more than it needs perfection right now.

To get on the Illinois ballot, Cohen would need to submit 25,000 signatures from registered voters on petitions by June 21. If Cohen succeeds, he'll face Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn, Republican state Sen. Bill Brady and Green Party candidate Rich Whitney.