Posted by Rick Pearson at 12:32 p.m.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk won’t attend a planned state GOP fundraiser featuring Sarah Palin next month, campaign aides said today.
Kirk, a five-term North Shore congressman, sought but did not get supportive words from Palin during the Senate primary campaign. Instead of attending the May 12 fundraiser in Rosemont, Kirk will be in Washington for scheduled House votes, his campaign said.
The issue of Kirk soliciting support for Palin was a controversial one for the GOP nominee. Though Kirk cruised through a multi-candidate primary with 56 percent of the vote—his nearest challenger got 19 percent—some activists said that Kirk wasn’t conservative enough on social issues, such as abortion, to earn their support.
Last November, Kirk downplayed seeking Palin help for the primary, saying he was merely sending a memo as he does to a number of “prominent GOP people when they come into Chicago.” At the time, Palin was coming to Chicago for a taping of the "Oprah Winfrey Show."
Palin is scheduled to headline an Illinois Republican Party event with ticket prices as high as $25,000 for a half-hour private roundtable with the controversial former vice presidential candidate and Alaska governor. The media will be shut out, just like it was last week at the big state Republican fundraiser featuring embattled National Republican Chairman Michael Steele.
Republican sources said when they learned Palin would be in Rosemont for her own events that day, they decided to try to piggyback with a state party fundraiser.
Kirk faces Democratic state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias in November for the Senate seat once held by President Barack Obama.