Mark Kirk, Alexi Giannoulias Tied in Illinois Senate Race

Republican Rep. Mark Kirk and Democrat Alexi Giannoulias are tied at 40 percent each in their race for Illinois' Senate seat, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Aug. 9. Eight percent prefer some other candidate and 12 percent are undecided.

Kirk and Giannoulias, the state's treasurer, have been within four points of each other in Rasmussen's three previous polls dating back to June 7. Both men have struggled with troublesome disclosures about their backgrounds: Kirk, for making misleading statements about his military service and Giannoulias because of stories about his family's failed bank, of which he had been an officer.

Neither candidate is seen in much of a positive light. Forty-three percent have an unfavorable opinion of Kirk while 42 percent regard him favorably. Forty-seven percent see Giannoulias unfavorably while 39 percent see him favorably. In the case of each, the percentage of voters who see them "very" unfavorably is more than double the number of those who see them "very" favorably. The balance of voters in each case say they don't know enough about the candidates to have an opinion.

Kirk holds the edge among unaffiliated voters by a 45 percent to 20 percent margin with the rest undecided or favoring some other candidate.

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