Mitch McConnell’s Senate seat could be in trouble as a new poll shows Democratic challenger Amy McGrath with a slim lead.
As Newsweek reported, polling from RMB Group showed that McGrath had the support of 41 percent of Kentucky voters to 40 percent for McConnell — with the potential for a much larger lead.
“However, the polling also showed that when voters are informed that McGrath supports congressional term limits while McConnell does not, her lead over the Republican jumps significantly,” the report noted, adding that McGrath held a 45 to 30 lead over McConnell when this is factored in.
Though the Senate majority leader has won by comfortable margins in a series of elections, there appears to be a more difficult fight for McConnell this year. Democrats are aiming to flip control of the Senate with the hopes that trying to vote Donald Trump out of office will bring a big turnout for Democrats, and McConnell has become a target. McConnell has been criticized for what many see as efforts to protect Trump, including pressing for a faster impeachment trial that did not allow Democrats to call witnesses or present evidence they wished to have included.
There have been other signs of a tight race for McConnell. As The Inquisitr reported, McGrath scored a major fundraising haul in the first quarter, outraising McConnell by $5 million. As a report from The Hill noted at the time the totals were announced, McGrath’s $7.5 million raised in the quarter is far outside the norm for Senate races, even one as high-profile as the one in Kentucky this November.
“McGrath’s haul is a gargantuan total for any Senate candidate, particularly a nonincumbent, and follows several other strong quarters,” according to The Hill.
While McGrath has earned national attention for her attacks on McConnell and her background as a former Marine fighter pilot, she still faces a challenge in order to go up against McConnell in November. Her Democratic primary opponent, Kentucky state Rep. Charles Booker, has earned some major endorsements including Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
As The Hill reported, Sanders even sent an email to his supporters raising money for Booker. In the email, Sanders pointed to the killing of two in Louisville residents by police and said Booker is the strongest candidate to represent Democrats in the race.
“As Louisville has become an epicenter of national tragedy and protesters due to the police murders of Breonna Taylor and David McAtee, Charles has shown leadership by showing up on the frontlines,” Sanders said in an email to supporters.
