(CNN) -- First-term Illinois Republican Sen. Mark Kirk said "no frickin' way am I retiring" in an interview with Roll Call published Friday morning, instead clearly signaling his intentions to run for reelection in 2016. His statement comes amid speculation that his health and staff turnover might cause him to step down after his first term. His chief of staff Erik Elk has said he will join the private sector, while other top staffers have joined newly elected GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner's team. And a debilitating stroke in 2012 has caused the senator to occasionally rely on a wheelchair. "With all this rehab, for me just to walk was a huge effort," Kirk told Roll Call. "I had to re-learn how to walk again after the stroke. And all the rehab and all the effort shows the mental determination times 10 to keep serving."
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Illinois GOP Sen. Kirk says he'll run for reelection in 2016, despite previous health problems
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His seat will likely be a target for Democrats looking to take back a seat in the blue state
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Democratic Rep. Tammy Duckworth is rumored to be considering a challenge
"It's the only way that @placeholder can win in Illinois, is to say, 'Oh, Kirk has health problems, he's going to retire.'"