After vowing not to drop out of the lieutenant governor's race democratic candidate Scott Cohen abruptly did so Sunday night less than a week after he won the primary.

"All I ever wanted to do was to run for office and to help the people, not to cause chaos," Cohen said. "That was never my intention."

Cohen was dogged by allegations he abused his ex-wife and threatened an ex-girlfriend with a knife on top of his admission of using steriods. During a news conference Monday, Governor Pat Quinn said Cohen followed his heart.

"We have to have a servant's heart, I think it was a poignant moment for our state," said Quinn. "Scott came forward and announced his decision and i think it was the right decision."

Bradley University political science professor William Hall says Cohen's candidacy would have been a political disaster.

"We likely never would have heard a sufficiently good discussion of the major problems that confront illinois and there are many of those, because he would have been such his background, such a sideshow," said Hall.

Peoria County democratic party chairman Billy Halstead says he's surprised Chicago democrats did not talk earlier to Cohen about the political scrutiny in campaigns.

"It's the first thing we ask as a committee when candidates come to us or we go to them is think about your past and if there's things out there you want to make sure we get them cleared up if we can," Halstead said.

Now the process for selection of a democratic lieutenant governor candidate lies with the Illinois democratic state central committee of which House Speaker Michael Madigan is the chair. Halstead, like some are hoping that the committee balances the ticket by choosing a candidate from downstate.