Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias has won the Illinois Democratic Senate Primary to fill Barack Obama's old seat. With 86% of precincts reporting, he leads Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman 39-34 and will face Republican Rep. Mark Kirk, the 57-19 victor of the Republican primary, in the General Election.

Although Kirk ran hard to the right for the primaries, he is generally seen as a moderate and is about the only Republican capable of posing a threat to this Democratic open seat, even in an atmosphere like 2010. Giannoulias was probably not the most electable choice, having won his primary by mid-single digits after initially leading by over 15 points. He will face tough questions in the general about his family's bank's ethics and his ties to developer Tony Rezko. Nevertheless, he did have the backing of most of the Illinois Congressional delegation and leads Kirk in the latest poll (PPP, 1/22-1/25) 42-34. Given the state's history and Kirk's tack to the right, I would call this race a Leans Dem more than I would a true toss-up, though it certainly isn't one to ignore. For a preview of the general, check out this article from Salon's Edward McClelland last Friday.

In related news, the gubernatorial primaries for both parties remain too close to call as of 11:12 CST.