Fox News Poll: IL Senate--Kirk (R) 42% Giannoulias(D) 40% Jones (G) 7%

[WI_DEM]

Voters Don’t Like Their Choices in Tossup Race for Obama’s Former Seat

Voters seem dissatisfied for their choices in the Illinois Senate battle for the seat formerly held by Obama.

Republican Mark Kirk took 42 percent and Democrat Alexi Giannoulias 40 percent in the latest Fox News battleground poll of likely voters. As evidence of voter dissatisfaction, 9 percent were undecided and 7 percent back Green Party candidate LeAlan Jones.

Kirk and Giannoulias both suffer from trust issues with voters. Fourteen percent of respondents said neither was honest and trustworthy and 27 percent weren’t sure.

Giannoulias has suffered for the closure of his family’s bank following risky loans, including to mob figures and big losses to state accounts as state treasurer. Kirk has suffered since exaggerations of his military service and teaching career were discovered on his resume.

Moderate Kirk may also be suffering from a lack of Republican enthusiasm.

Conservative Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady holds a sturdy-looking 10 point lead over Democratic incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn, 46 percent to 36 percent.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/28/fox-news-polls-democrats-tough-job-building-senate-firewall/

Giannoulias is counting on lots of help from the Obama White House to take him over the top and convince disenchanted Democrats to not cast a protest vote for the Green Party or stay home. And Obama will be more use in his adopted home state than in most places on the map.

Obama’s job approval rating came in at 46 percent, better than his national standing in most polls. But even so, more respondents said that Obama’s policies had hurt the state economy (36 percent) than those who said Obama had helped (30 percent).