A Cornellian in the Senate?

Come November, Cornell may have an alum serving in the U.S. Senate.

Mark Kirk (B.A., History, 1981) is the Republican nominee for the Senate election to replace Roland Burris. Burris was appointed last year by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich after Barack Obama moved to the White House.

U.S. News has some basic facts on Kirk here, and the New York Times profiled the race here. Kirk appears to hold a small lead over Democrat Alexi Giannoulias.

Perhaps the most interesting thing I found was this 2006 article about Kirk's then-wife on the Northwestern Law site, the school from which she holds a J.D.

Accepted at Northwestern Law School (“one of the happiest days of my life”), [Kimberly] Vertolli-Kirk was able to indulge her lifelong interest in international feminist jurisprudence in Thailand and India with a focus on women's reproductive rights, not the usual areas of study for Republican spouses.

In fact, while her husband sits on the right, Vertolli-Kirk leans left. “The role that government and religion play in the exercise of women's rights remains one of my primary intellectual interests,” she says. “If the NRCC knew how different we were politically, they'd probably want to find him a new wife!”

Funny, that. Mark and Kimberly divorced last year.

Update: Here today, Sun tomorrow.