Alexi Giannoulias, Mark Kirk Tied in Illinois Senate Race

The Illinois Senate race has sometimes seemed like an affair of who was doing a better job of losing than winning, and a new poll conducted Aug. 28-Sept. 1 conducted by the Chicago Tribune and WGN-TV has that contest all tied up, with Democrat Alexi Giannoulias and Republican Mark Kirk each getting 34 percent, with 22 percent undecided.

Green Party candidate LeAlan Jones is drawing 6 percent and Libertarian Mike Labno gets 3 percent.

Giannoulias, the first-term state treasurer, and Kirk, a five term congressman, both are struggling to overcome unfavorable views of them held by voters -- Giannoulias, in part, because of disclosures about his family's failed bank, and Kirk because of stories that he had embellished his military service record.

The Tribune said that while Giannoulias has been able to weather months of scrutiny about the bank, "the survey suggests that Giannoulias could find it difficult to improve his standing and is vulnerable to a well-funded Republican attack."

As for Kirk, the paper said the controversy over his military record has many Republican-leaning voters undecided about him, and that he "has not been warmly embraced by conservatives, could lose much-needed support if Labno can raise his name recognition among disaffected voters."

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