Before the election I attended a fund raiser that Sen Ted Cruz spoke at. It was put on by Chris Cleveland for Pubs on the northside of Chicago. He is aggressively pursuing candidates for local offices, but it's a very tough fight. At this point about all that can be done is to try and keep Rats fighting in IL so resources don't go to other states.
Kirk's seat comes up in 16 and you can bet the Rats are favored to win this one. But if they have to spend a lot more than they planned on to do so the Pubs might be able to grab a seat somewhere else that's more rational.
By keeping him installed, the Combine has a hand in both parties in DC. Unless someone decides otherwise, there's no reason for him to be removed. He's a good puppet for them.