Yesterday I sounded a little skeptical about a surge for Patrick Hughes, who’s trying to beat Rep. Mark Kirk in the GOP primary for Senate in Illinois. Today, Public Policy Polling releases a new poll putting Kirk ahead, 42 percent to 9 percent, with 39 percent undecided.

Give Hughes credit – he has established himself as the most serious alternative. But even with a large number of Republicans still undecided, he has to make up an enormous gap within one week. Not impossible, but not likely, either.