Rep. Bob Etheridge to announce Senate plans

Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-N.C.) is set to make an announcement about whether he plans to run for the Senate on Friday or Saturday.

“The congressman will make an announcement by the end of the week, which may be Saturday,” Etheridge spokesman Don Owens told a local paper late Thursday. “But it’s likely to come [Friday].”

Etheridge has quietly weighed his options for running against Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.). His recruitment looms as one of the last big question marks in Senate Democrats’ recruitment efforts, along with Beau Biden in Delaware.

If Etheridge doesn’t make a go of it, North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall would assume the role of Democratic front-runner. National Democrats have been resistant to her candidacy, but the recent withdrawal of former state Sen. Cal Cunningham from the race leaves her with a clear advantage in name recognition in the rest of the field.

With so many races on the map, though, it may be hard for national Democrats to justify sending resources to the race against Burr without a top-tier candidate. Their No. 1 potential recruit, state Attorney General Roy Cooper, declined to run despite urging from the White House.

Burr has seen his general-election numbers recover a bit since the Republican resurgence, but his approval and favorability ratings have languished in the 30s, much the same as now-former Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) before she lost reelection last year.

UPDATE 1:42 p.m.: Etheridge campaign spokesman Jason Sulham said the announcement "will be today."