* George Gollin, a 60 year-old University of Illinois physicist from Champaign has announced that he’s running for Congress. Gollin will be up against former Judge Ann Callis for the right to take on Congressman Rodney Davis in the fall, or Erika Harold if she somehow manages to win the Republican primary.

Tom Kacich reports…

Gollin, who has been exploring a congressional race since April, said he has been encouraged to run by his academic colleagues.

“What I’ve been doing is talking to my colleagues in higher ed and mostly physics. Everybody has said that this is great,” he said. “There’s been nobody I’ve spoken to who’s a scientist who’s been anything other than wildly enthusiastic about this.”

Um. Ok.

Callis has the support of the DCCC and Sen. Dick Durbin, she has a big fundraising head start and, most importantly, she’s not relying on physics teachers to pump her up with smoke.

* Meanwhile, National Review takes a look at Congressman Davis’ GOP opponent Erika Harold…

Thus far, her fundraising numbers have been underwhelming, according to Roll Call. Abby Livingston writes that Harold “should have been prepared for a stronger showing against Davis, a prolific fundraiser, to show her force in this potentially competitive primary. Davis raised $455,000 for the quarter and reported $702,000.”

A We Ask America poll from June has gloomy numbers for Harold: Of 1,178 likely GOP voters, only 16.38 percent said they’d vote for her if the primary were held that day. And though three times as many respondents had never heard of her, 6.98 percent say they disapprove of her, while 6.16 percent disapprove of Davis.

Actually, that was a Capitol Fax/We Ask America poll which I shared with subscribers only. Not cool on National Review’s part at all.

* But since it’s out there, here are the results…

If the Primary Election for your Member of Congress were held today, for whom would you vote?

Rodney Davis 53.55%

Erika Harold 16.38%

Undecided 30.07%

Please tell us your general opinion of Rodney Davis.

Never heard of 20.67%

Approve 50.61%

Disapprove 6.16%

No opinion 22.56%

Please tell us your opinion of Erika Harold.

Never heard of 61.29%

Approve 19.75%

Disapprove 6.98%

No opinion 11.98%

Those are solid numbers for a freshman. I just don’t see Harold’s path to victory.

The poll of 1178 likely GOP primary voters was taken June 10th and has a margin of error of ±2.86 percent. Subscribers have crosstabs.