CHICAGO -- State Sen. James Meeks preached before his church congregation of thousands on Sunday that he might be considering a run for Illinois governor.

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Survey: Should Meeks Run?

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Meeks' challenge to white voters could grow into a very big problem for Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

"Come on with me white churches ... Call me and tell me to run for governor," Meeks said. "White people who believe in Jesus, call me and tell me to run for governor"

Meeks is an Illinois senator in the 15th District. He is counting on an anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage platform to appeal to conservative white Christians.

"If I do run and there are two people in the race who both are not standing for morality, if I don't have every white Christian vote in the state of Illinois, I will stand on top of the Sears Tower and call every one of ya'll racist," Meeks said from his pulpit.

When asked whether he would run, Meeks said he would make the decision after the public got a chance to hear his challenge.

Experts say Meeks' political power should not be underestimated. He presides over Salem Baptist Church, the largest church in Illinois, with some 20,000 members. He carries clout with both white and black voters -- which could amount to trouble for the governor.

"This could be the monkey wrench. The only way the Democrats in Illinois can be defeated is to have the party split significantly," said political analyst Don Rose. "(Meeks) certainly has the potential to split the party badly."

A Blagojevich representative said a potential Meeks run is "a calculation that the governor is not making ... It's beyond his control. All we can do is to continue to work with Sen. Meeks on issues important to the governor."

When asked whether Meeks felt he has enough experience for the job of governor, he spoke about President George W. Bush.

"The present administration had enough experience. Sure I do," he said.

Meeks said he's not using the potential run as leverage to get the money he wants during upcoming budget negotiations. He said that would be "dishonest."

The reverend also said he is not worried about being called a spoiler for either candidate, and is confident he'll come up with the 25,000 signatures needed to enter the race as an independent.

He can officially start the process of gathering signatures on Tuesday.