Possible 3rd Candidate in IL Senate race

[Jophiel]

People in IL aren't enthused about either Mark Kirk (R) or Alexi Giannoulias (D) for the Illinois senate seat up for grabs this cycle*. According to Public Policy Polling, Giannoulias is leading the race... 31% to 30%. Giannoulias has his baggage as loan officer of his family's bank which has recently been seized by the Feds and a less than stellar performance as state treasurer. Mark Kirk has swung to the right on issues (but not far enough it seems) from previously more moderate stances and seems to be caught in a continuing stream of falsehoods regarding his military service.

So now Mike Niecestro is offering himself as an independent conservative candidate for the senate. He says he has more than enough petition signatures to get on the ballot and is willing to put $1mil of his own cash into the race.

Think he'll actually run or is he just trying to force Kirk to the right? If he does run, will he be viable or just split the Republican/conservative vote and clear the way for a Giannoulias victory?

*I refuse to call it "Obama's seat" as that's some stupid media made phrase and I haven't come across anyone here in the Prairie State yet who thinks of it as some special thing. More likely, it's thought of as "the seat that Blagojevich tried to sell and then stuffed with Burris".