WASHINGTON - If the nation's voters decide to send Sen. Barack Obama to the White House, there will be another election of sorts in his home state of Illinois.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a two-term Democrat at odds with members of his own party, would alone choose who succeeds the state's junior senator.

Some politicians are talking openly about the possibility of being appointed to the Senate and bloggers have begun playing the "who's next" game about the person to fill out the remaining two years of Obama's term.

"I'm sure a lot of people are trying to tell the governor what to do - absolutely," said Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., who did not rule out accepting an appointment.

Recently, the governor was asked about Obama's seat and he mentioned several members of Congress. He also mentioned Tammy Duckworth, the director of the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs who in 2006 lost a bid for Congress.

"I'm just throwing names out," Blagojevich said. He refused to say if he'd consider appointing himself.

Obama, the only black Senator, is trying to become the first black president and that raises the question of whether Blagojevich should consider another black person to replace the senator in the event of a November victory over GOP Sen. John McCain.

"I think that's a consideration that Gov. Blagojevich is likely to think about if he has a chance to fill a vacancy," said Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate. "I'm not going to presume that will make his decision for him."

Others think Blagojevich will have little choice but to pick Obama's successor from the black community, which remains one of the few reliable blocs of support he has after six years of infighting with fellow Democrats.

"I don't think the governor is going to raise eyebrows for who he didn't pick," said state Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, a member of the Democratic-led House leadership team. "I believe the governor would pick an African-American."

The popular assumption is that the new senator would be one of Illinois' 11 Democratic U.S. House members, particularly Jan Schakowsky of Evanston, Jesse Jackson Jr. of Chicago or Luis Gutierrez of Chicago. The governor also could tap someone from the Illinois General Assembly or a statewide officeholder, or even someone outside the world of politics.

Increasingly, the name of Illinois Senate President Emil Jones comes up, both on Capitol Hill and Springfield. The powerful Chicago pol has been an important ally for the governor, and is widely credited for helping to raise Obama's profile for a Senate run while Obama was in the state Senate.

State Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, said Jones could cap his long legislative career by being a U.S. senator, possibly under the condition that he would not seek election in the 2010 primary.

Jones declined an interview request from The Associated Press on the subject, but others question whether he would seriously consider moving to Washington.

"Why would Emil Jones want to be a U.S. senator where, of course, he'd be at the back of the bus?" Rep. Davis asked.

Former GOP Gov. Jim Edgar also wondered if Blagojevich would look to Jones.

"That's the only friend he has in the Legislature," Edgar said. "He can't afford to name Jones … If he does, he can't rely on who (Jones') successor will be."

State Sen. Donne Trotter of Chicago, a member of the Legislature's black caucus, said there are qualified blacks who should be considered as Obama's replacement but it is not "a black seat."

"We're 10 percent of the population of the state. It's not just a 'give me,"' Trotter said.

Davis, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, said he could eagerly support someone outside the black community - for example, a longtime friend and political ally, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn.

"I would not shed one tear if the governor picked Pat Quinn," he said.

How much of a role would President Obama play in evaluating his replacement?

"The only stipulation I think he'll have is that the person would be of extremely high quality, make a good senator and not embarrass him," said Dan Shomon, a former Obama campaign adviser who has not been an official part of the current campaign.

Rep. Rahm Emanuel and Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, the only black in office besides Obama elected statewide, have both said they aren't interested in a Senate appointment.

Gutierrez, who would become Illinois' first Hispanic senator, has not ruled out the possibility of succeeding Obama. And Schakowsky, a national co-chair for Obama's presidential bid, has made it clear for three months that she would be "honored and pleased" to hold a Senate seat.

Jackson, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and also a national co-chair for Obama's campaign, has avoided expressing any interest in the position publicly.

Statewide officeholders such as Comptroller Dan Hynes or Attorney General Lisa Madigan are sometimes cited as possible contenders for Obama's job, though neither has expressed much interest publicly. That assumes Blagojevich is planning to seek a third term in 2010 and would like to remove a potential primary foe.

Madigan is the daughter of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, the Illinois Democratic Party chairman and the top Democratic critic of the governor. Hynes has ridiculed Blagojevich's money-management policies and Quinn is also a sharp critic.

Mike Lawrence, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, said picking a replacement for Obama depends on what Blagojevich does in two years.

"If he's still a viable candidate for re-election, he'll appoint someone who'll help him politically - a black, a Jesse Jackson Jr., someone like that," Lawrence said. "If he's not running again, hard to tell."

Then there's the option the governor has that he does not want to talk about.

"He is not a conventional governor; he could pick himself," Lawrence said.

Associated Press Writer Jenny Song in Chicago contributed to this report.

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Strengths and weaknesses of possible contenders

When it comes to deciding who Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich should appoint to succeed Sen. Barack Obama if he wins his presidential bid, there are many possibilities. Here are some of those who are frequently mentioned:

1. U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, Chicago.

Strengths: Sen. Obama's congressman. Would satisfy those who want Obama to be succeeded by another black person.

Weaknesses: Political ally of Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, with whom governor's relationship has deteriorated. Comfortable representing district where his political future is secure, as opposed to running a costly, statewide campaign in 2010 to keep a Senate seat. Illinois would lose a subcommittee chairmanship of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee dealing with federal and postal employees.

2. Illinois Director of Veterans' Affairs, Tammy Duckworth, based in Springfield and Chicago.

Strengths: Veteran of Iraq war. Member of Blagojevich administration. Popular with many state politicians, including U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, who, along with U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel, recruited her to run in 2006 for an open GOP congressional seat.

Weaknesses: Lost her only campaign for public office, even with strong fundraising and political backing. Picking her may reap few, if any rewards, for the governor, given she is already on his team.

3. U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, Chicago.

Strengths: Blagojevich pal when both were in Congress. Former aides helped elect governor. Would be Illinois' first Hispanic senator, help solidify governor's support with a voting bloc.

Weaknesses: A leader on immigration issues, a divisive topic with voters. Illinois would lose chairmanship of a House Financial Service subcommittee on international monetary policy, trade and technology.

4. Illinois Rep. Jay Hoffman, Collinsville.

Strengths: A longtime friend of Blagojevich. Governor's point man in the House and elsewhere. Considered to be part of Blagojevich's inner circle of advisers.

Weaknesses: From southern Illinois, as is Durbin, a native of East St. Louis and longtime Springfield resident. There will be much pressure to keep the seat in the hands of a Chicagoan.

5. U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., Chicago.

Strengths: A national co-chair for Obama's campaign. One of the nation's best-known black politicians. Early backer of Blagojevich's first run for governor, though relations are less friendly nowadays, given differences on some airport-related issues.

Weaknesses: Aggressive pursuit of a third regional airport over the years has not endeared him with some of his fellow Democrats. His father, the Rev. Jesse Jackson Jr., has been a polarizing figure in some quarters. Illinois would lose its only Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee and possibly the only congressman, period, after the 2008 elections.

6. Illinois Senate President Emil Jones, Chicago.

Strengths: Able to ask for the job as the governor's most powerful ally in the General Assembly. A mentor to Obama, who credits him with giving his longshot 2004 candidacy for U.S. Senate a major boost.

Weaknesses: Blagojevich may not want to part with such an important legislative ally in Springfield. Like presidential candidate John McCain, age may be an issue: He will be 73 in October.

7. U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Evanston.

Strengths: A national co-chair for Obama's campaign. A friend of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and member of her leadership team. Leading opponent against unpopular Iraq war. Long active in women's and consumer-rights issues.

Weaknesses: Some think of Schakowsky as "too liberal." Her husband, Bob Creamer, served time in federal prison after pleading guilty to kiting checks and failing to pay withholding taxes involving employees at his community group.