rep. mark kirk
Chicago, IL -
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk's campaign released figures on Thursday showing it had raised nearly $1.9 million between October and December. The campaign now has reportedly $3.2 million in campaign funds.
The five-term congressman and Naval Reserve officer is considered a frontrunner in the February 2 primary. A Chicago Tribune poll from December showed Kirk with the support of 41 percent of GOP voters, while none of his five rivals exceeded 3 percent.
Primary opponent Andy Martin made headlines last month when his campaign ran radio ads suggesting Kirk is gay.
The 60 second radio ad says there is a "solid rumor that Kirk is a homosexual" and that he "has surrounded himself with homosexuals."
Pat Brady, the head of the Illinois Republican Party, denounced the ad and said the party will no longer recognize Martin as a legitimate Republican candidate.
Kirk has responded that he is not gay.
Martin's campaign later suggested that Kirk knew about Rep. Mark Foley's indiscretions with young male pages, and allowed them to happen. Martin then claimed, Kirk "should be disqualified from holding public office." His campaign released an ad calling Kirk a "de facto pedophile."
Kirk's campaign website makes no reference to any LGBT issues. He is seen as a political moderate.
The primary is Feb 2.
The five-term congressman and Naval Reserve officer is considered a frontrunner in the February 2 primary. A Chicago Tribune poll from December showed Kirk with the support of 41 percent of GOP voters, while none of his five rivals exceeded 3 percent.
Primary opponent Andy Martin made headlines last month when his campaign ran radio ads suggesting Kirk is gay.
The 60 second radio ad says there is a "solid rumor that Kirk is a homosexual" and that he "has surrounded himself with homosexuals."
Pat Brady, the head of the Illinois Republican Party, denounced the ad and said the party will no longer recognize Martin as a legitimate Republican candidate.
Kirk has responded that he is not gay.
Martin's campaign later suggested that Kirk knew about Rep. Mark Foley's indiscretions with young male pages, and allowed them to happen. Martin then claimed, Kirk "should be disqualified from holding public office." His campaign released an ad calling Kirk a "de facto pedophile."
Kirk's campaign website makes no reference to any LGBT issues. He is seen as a political moderate.
The primary is Feb 2.
