IL-Sen. 2016 Thread: Duckworth nearly triples Kirk Q2 fundraising

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

This race hinges on 3 things:

1.) The electorate and environment on November 8, 2016
2.) The Democratic candidate
3.) The status of Mark Kirk's campaign and personal brand

If just one of these 3 things isn't in his favor, Kirk's in serious jeopardy (could pull it out, but I wouldn't bet on it). If two of them aren't, he's a goner. And even if all 3 are going for him, he's still struggle-busing.

It would be interesting to see if Kirk could become the Kay Hagan of 2016: good campaign, flawed challenger, personally inoffensive, but still taken down by the environment and electorate.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Just to bring the thread to speed.

Mark Kirk (R-Highland Park) is running for re-election
http://abc7chicago.com/politics/us-sen-mark-kirk-to-run-for-re-election-in-2016-/382589/

Duckworth (D-Hoffman Estates) is leaning heavily against running
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20141111/BLOGS02/141119947?template=mobile&X-IgnoreUserAgent=1

Other names tossed out since last Tuesday:
Lisa Madigan (D-Chicago)
Cheri Bustos (D-Moline)
Mike Quigley (D-Chicago)
Bill Foster (D-Naperville)
Tom Dart (D-Chicago)
Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston)
Sheila Simon (D-Carbondale)

Why is Simon a serious option? Wouldn't being tied to the unpopular Quinn be a huge negative?

She kept Topinka under 50%, and she's personally inoffensive. The Quinn tie would fall flat unless somehow he went down in an investigation and she was linked to it, which is highly unlikely.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Mark Kirk: Obama wants to get nukes to Iran; deal is "the greatest appeasement since Chamberlain gave Czechoslovakia to Hitler" and will create a nuclear war

Seriously WTF? Of all the issues he has to be completely insane on, it's this one.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

He was the one Republican to vote against defunding PP. He's so scared of re-election, he really is.

Kirk has always been pro-choice AFAIK. This isn't anything new.