2016 Illinois Senate Race: Who takes on vulnerable Mark Kirk?

[adaher]

@ElvisL1ves

Is Duckworth a big enough name in Illinois (I know she is nationally) to clear the field? If she’s in, is she pretty much definitely the nominee?

Duckworth is no liberal, so I assume she’d draw a challenge. She’s very comfortably in the Rahm Emmanuel wing of the state party.

[Jophiel]

Kirk was being urged to get out of the race by a major GOP fundraiser who said Kirk couldn’t win. Then he… took it back.

One of the Illinois GOP’s premiere fundraisers has called on U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., to abandon his re-election race, saying it likely is unwinnable. The statement is spurring a flurry of phone calls and activity among worried Republicans.
[…]
“His misstatements put him and the Illinois Republican Party in too much of a defensive position” in what remains a predominantly Democratic state, Gidwitz told me in a phone interview. “I do not believe he will be a U.S. senator in 2017 and, as top of the ticket, he could cause collateral damage (to other Republican candidates). I call on him to step aside and allow other Republicans to seek his seat.”

According to the article, Gidwitz would REALLY like for Kirk to step down now and have Gov. Rauner appoint a stronger Republican to run against Duckworth.

PPP just released a poll giving Duckworth a six point lead and giving Kirk a 25% approval rating. Probably not much blue-voter crossover there for Kirk.

[Jophiel]

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Kirk may have violated federal campaign finance laws by placing his post-stroke caregiver on his campaign payroll despite his caregiver having no apparent campaign role or experience. It is illegal to pay for personal expenses that would have occurred regardless out of campaign funds.

Kirk’s placement of his caregiver — who had no prior campaign experience — onto his campaign staff raises questions about whether Kirk used political donations to pay for personal expenses. Campaign finance records show that Kirk for Senate had paid his caregiver a salary totaling more than $43,000 from August 2013 through the end of 2014.

Federal law says campaign funds cannot be used for expenses that would occur regardless of whether the person were running for or holding office.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

Just got a Duckworth fundraising letter (and I don’t live in Illinois). PM me if you’d like me to send it to you - first come, first served.

Here’s her website (incl. what looks like an old picture of her with the President): http://tammyduckworth.com/