By AP/KWMU
Chicago – Roland Burris will not run for a full Senate term next year. He will make a formal announcement today in Chicago.
Burris was appointed by former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to fill the Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama.
His appointment was criticized from the moment it was announced and prompted calls for Burris to resign.
In the Senate, Burris has been treated as something of a pariah because of his ties to Blagojevich, who was arrested in part on allegations he tried to sell the Senate seat.
By not seeking a full term, Burris increases Democrats' chances of holding on to the seat. Republicans had viewed Burris as a potentially easy target if he were to run for a full-term.