ILSen: Kirk poised to win both races--Obama's old seat--UPDATED

With 95 percent of the vote counted, Republican Mark Kirk appears headed to victory in the Illinois US Senate race--he leads Democrat Alexi Giannoulias 48.4 percent to 46 percent with 95 percent of the vote counted. He leads by a similar amount in the special election for the remaining six weeks of the old Barack Obama term.

That means less of an opportunity for lame duck mischief for Harry Reid and the Democrats in the Senate, assuming Kirk hangs on to his lead.

UPDATE 11:20pm: AP is calling the race for Kirk.

UPDATE 11:40pm: RNC Chairman Steele congratulates Kirk.

WASHINGTON – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement on the historic election of Mark Kirk:

Today, Illinois voters made history by electing Mark Kirk and reclaiming the U.S. Senate seat once held by President Obama.

When President Obama’s home state rejects the past eighteen months of his presidency and elects Mark Kirk, a fiscal conservative to his old Senate seat, it should send shock waves through the White House.

Voters resoundingly made their voices heard today by standing up to the political machine that Alexi Giannoulias represented. While this change from blue to red will worry the President and national Democrats, Senator-elect Mark Kirk's election should be a clear warning that Illinois voters reject the out of control tax, borrow and spend policies that are being shoved down their throats. I am excited to watch Senator-elect Mark Kirk get to work and stand up for Illinoisans.

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