State Sen. Kwame Raoul says he is running for attorney general in 2018.

Raoul is the second Democratic state lawmaker to throw his hat in the ring.

Raoul, an attorney, says that Madigan’s departure leaves a big void, but he has the experience and ability to continue her “great work.”

Raoul was appointed to the State Senate in 2004 to fill the vacancy left by then-state Sen. Barack Obama’s election to the U.S. Senate.

Also seeking the Democratic nomination is state Rep. Scott Drury.

The Republican candidate is Erika Harold, a lawyer and former Miss America from Urbana.