Less than a week after state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias won the Democratic Senate nomination by 5 points, Sen. Dick Durbin (D) announced over the weekend that he will serve as chairman of his general election campaign against Rep. Mark Kirk (R).

“The United States Senate needs a strong, fresh voice that will join me in fighting to bring good, new jobs to Illinois,” Durbin said in a statement from the Giannoulias campaign.

Durbin stayed on the sidelines during the competitive primary, although he famously took a trip to Greece with Giannoulias one year ago as the native was just beginning to launch his bid for Senate.