Giannoulias holding strong early

Illinois state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias (D) is looking just fine so far.

Giannoulias holds a seven-point lead over Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) in a new Research 2000 poll of their Senate race matchup.

The poll, which was conducted for the liberal website Daily Kos, echoes a Public Policy Polling (D) survey from before the Feb. 2 primary. While the PPP poll had Giannoulias up 42-34, the new poll shows him up 43-36.

It's interesting that Giannoulias's favorables remain superior to Kirk's, even after a difficult Democratic primary. Giannoulias has a 49-34 favorability, while Kirk's is at 42-35.

The difference isn't huge, but with the beating Giannoulias has taken recently, he looks relatively unscathed. He actually is doing better among independents than Kirk, leading 36-35 and with a higher favorability rating. Neither man has lost much of his base.