Kirk building solid GOP base; Dems won't match NRSC spending

A new poll shows Illinois Senate candidate Mark Kirk with solid support in his party's geographic base. 

Kirk led Democrat Alexi Giannoulias 45 to 23 percent in a Public Opinion Strategies poll conducted for Rep. John Shimkus's (R-Ill.) campaign. The Aug. 24-25 survey of 400 likely voters had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percent. There was 22 percent undecided in the 19th district, which spans much of the more conservative, southern half of the state.

Giannoulias is expected to need upwards of $4 million to maintain a statewide TV ad campaign in the final month of the race. But much of that money won't be coming from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, according to Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.). 

After a speech in Chicago on Monday, Durbin told reporters Democrats would not match the $3.4 million that the National Republican Senatorial Committee has pledged to Kirk.

 "The amount of money being spent by the Republican side [this campaign cycle] is overwhelming," Durbin said, according to Crain's Chicago Business.