Calling a special election required by law, Gov. Rod Blagojevich today set a March 3 primary and April 7 general election to fill Rahm Emanuel's seat in the Northwest Side's 5th Congressional District.
Unlike U.S. Senate vacancies which are filled by appointment by the governor under state law, a different law requires a special election to be held to fill most congressional vacancies. Emanuel, who won a fourth term in November, formally resigned Friday to become White House chief of staff for President-elect Barack Obama.

More than a dozen potential contenders have lined up to seek Emanuel's seat in a district previously represented by Dan Rostenkowski and later by Blagojevich, who was arrested last month on federal criminal charges that include allegedly attempting to sell the U.S. Senate seat Obama vacated shortly after winning the White House.

Major political party contenders will have between Jan. 12 and Jan. 19 to file candidacy petitions at the State Board of Elections in Springfield.

The district covers 486 Chicago city precincts and  92 suburban Cook County precincts in Leyden and Proviso Townships.

Illinois Republicans, who have complained about the failure of Democrats to move forward with a proposed special election legislation for Obama's U.S. Senate vacancy, noted in a statement that the April 7 general election date set by Blagojevich for Emanuel's seat could help save money because it coincides with the already established municipal elections in Chicago and Cook County.

Democrats, who control the Illinois legislature, have cited the potential cost of a special election as one of the reasons not to move ahead with such proposals while they consider Blagojevich's impeachment.