Rep. Mark Kirk won his GOP Senate primary staying below the radar while Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias clinched the Democratic nomination roughed up by rivals David Hoffman and to a lesser degree Cheryle Jackson over his ties to his family owned Broadway Bank.
Kirk and Giannoulias start a nine-month general election campaign that will be brutal, expensive and one of the most-watched in the nation because it is for President Obama's former seat.
"We are not going to waste any time. We are not going to waste a week or two. There is a plan in place to defeat Mark Kirk," said Kathleen Strand, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee operative on the ground in Illinois since the summer with one assignment: to soften up Kirk.
"We're going to work tirelessly from now until Election Day communicating the clear contrast between Mark Kirk's proven, independent-minded leadership versus Alexi Giannoulias' ethically challenged record as a part of Chicago's political machine," said Amber Wilkerson Marchand, the National Republican Senatorial Committee Press Secretary.
Republicans are emboldened by their stunning victory last month in Massachusetts, with Sen.-elect Scott Brown taking the late Sen. Ted Kennedy's seat in a special election. The Obama White House is expected to be engaged in the race -- after keeping hands off during the primary.
Kirk won his primary with a commanding lead, but it was over weak, underfunded rivals who barely ran legitimate campaigns. Kirk ran a cautious primary -- he would not release campaign schedules -- a tactic designed to avoid controversy and do nothing to arouse the Illinois GOP conservative community who often saw Kirk as one of those RINOs -- a Republican in Name Only.
It remains to be seen if Kirk's tacks to the right during the primary -- renouncing his cap-and-trade emissions vote, his pitch to Sarah Palin for an endorsement --hurt him as he pitches himself to independents and Democrats while still needing to keep conservatives engaged with a man who call himself a "social moderate."
Kirk signaled in his victory speech that the stench left in the wake of the scandals surrounding former Gov. Rod Blagojevich will be part of his campaign.
"We all know that over the past year a quiet despair has descended on the State of Illinois," Kirk said. "A governor arrested, a senator seat disgraced, corruption rampant, unemployment rising and families struggling. The people of Illinois now see the arrogance of a one-party state."
On Tuesday night, the NRSC issued a Web ad highlighting Giannoulias' ties to Blagojevich and felon Tony Rezko titled, "Making Tony Soprano Proud."
Kirk is a five-term congressman from the north suburban 10th district with a Democratic tilt. Giannoulias started framing Kirk as a "Washington insider" Tuesday night and talking about job creation.
Giannoulias is the opponent the Republicans wanted. The Illinois Senate campaign will be unfolding at the same time Blagojevich's corruption trial starts this summer. Giannoulias starts the campaign against Kirk wounded by the primary.
Giannoulias, a basketball player -- he has shot hoops with Obama -- has the confidence of a jock and could needle Kirk. Kirk comes off like the smartest guy in the class and wants everyone to know it. Neither Giannoulias nor Kirk should be underestimated.