WASHINGTON - Of ten Republicans who may lose their U.S. Senate seats in 2016, Sunday The Hill named Illinois' U.S. Senator Mark Kirk as #1 most likely, with a possibility of four Illinois Democrats as potential challengers:
1. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.)
Kirk narrowly defeated a scandal-plagued Democratic candidate by less than 2 points in the 2010 Republican wave election. In the 2016 presidential election year, he will likely face a much more Democratic electorate.
The senator has worked hard to bolster his bipartisan credentials, backing immigration reform, gun control and environmental protections. He was also the second Republican senator to embrace gay marriage.
His hard-fought battle to return from a debilitating stroke could also earn him sympathy from voters.
Kirk told The Hill in November that he’s running “come hell or high water,” seeking to dispel rumors he might retire.
But in deep-blue Illinois even the strongest Republicans face uphill battles. Democrats are eying Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan (D) and Reps. Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), Cheri Bustos (Ill.) and Bill Foster (Ill.) as potential challengers.
