BEST WISHES FOR JIM EDGAR, PRIVATE CITIZEN

Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar won't run for the U.S. Senate after all. The popular, two-term Republican chief executive made the announcement Wednesday afternoon, surprising statehouse and national political observers who had expected his entry against Democratic Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun. Edgar thus brings to a close a 30-year career in state government that included service in the state legislature, followed by nearly a decade as secretary of state before his election to the first of two terms as governor in 1990. In 1994, Edgar entered the history books as a landslide, 2-1 re-election winner, sweeping his fellow Republicans to historic victory in every statewide office and to control of both houses of the General Assembly. This history, combined with high poll ratings, would have made him the likely favorite over the lightly regarded Moseley-Braun, had the 51-year-old governor chosen to make the race.

Edgar says he made the difficult decision to stand down after long consultation with his wife, Brenda, who hails from the nearby Southern Illinois town of Anna. It is possible that some of his difficult health history entered into these calculations. The governor has had some heart trouble and corrective bypass surgery. As with any public career, Edgar's has been marked by wins and losses. He is to be commended for gracefully beginning to exit the stage with an acknowledgment that there is more to life than running for and winning political office. Citizens who have generally been well-served by him will wish him and his family well as they open a new chapter in their lives.