RSS Feed MenuIts a blowout in Illinois for Congressman Mark Kirk. With 92% of precincts reporting, Kirk is leading his next closest opponent, Illinois lawyer and tea party favorite Patrick Hughes by a margin of 57%-19. This is good news for the Kirk campaign, which secured a commanding victory without having had to run too far to the right.
The likely Democratic opponent, the talented Alexi Giannoulias, is actually in quite a dog fight tonight. With 91% of precincts reporting, the Chicago Sun Times is refraining from calling the race and is currently reporting that Giannoulias is leading his main opponent, Democrat David Hoffman, 39-34. Were Hoffman to somehow knock off Giannoulias, and it remains unlikely that he will, Kirk would become the favorite according to the polling data.
But for now, Republicans should be content. The best candidate prevailed. Now comes the real battle. This election will be about winning independents. Which means it will be about jobs and national security. That, folks, is a fight Mark Kirk just might be able to win.
joedee1969 // Feb 3, 2010 at 6:56 am
This is just the beginning. It will be a great year at the ballot box:
http://americaspeaksink.com/2010/02/bring-on-the-democrat-ballot-blood-bath/
DFL // Feb 3, 2010 at 9:09 am
Half a clap for Kirk. It is too bad that an Illinois conservative like Shimkus or Manzullo didn’t run in what appears to be a very good year for Republicans for both are preferable to Kirk. Kirk will likely beat the Democrat in November by 4-7 points and keep the seat as long as he doesn’t have to run in a year when a discredited Republican president like Bush poisons the political atmosphere like in 2006 and 2008.