Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appears to be edging away from Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky, prompting Democrats to pull money out of the race and leading pundits to say he’s heading back to Washington where he hopes to lead the Senate majority.
In its most recent poll, Rasmussen Reports put the Republican’s lead among likely voters at 52 percent to Grimes’ 44 percent. He led 46 percent to 41 percent in September and 48 percent to 41 percent in late May.
In their latest review of the clash, the University of Virginia Center for Politics’ Crystal Ball wrote, “Sen. Mitch McConnell still maintains his polling edge over Alison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is no longer advertising there, which is a perhaps telling sign about the current state of the race.”
Ron Faucheux’s daily “Lunchtime Politics” report on Rasmussen said Monday, “This survey not only has McConnell ahead, it also shows him breaking 50 percent. Grimes wins Democrats 73-24; McConnell wins Republicans 83-16 and independents by 21 points.”
Rasmussen noted two other positive findings for McConnell:
• “76 percent of Kentucky voters say they have already made up their minds how they are going to vote, and McConnell leads 55 percent to 45 percent among these voters. Among the 24 percent who still could change their minds, the candidates are tied at 41 percent apiece, with 17 percent opting for a third-party candidate or undecided.”
• “Among the 84 percent of Kentucky voters who say they will definitely vote in this contest, McConnell leads 53 percent to 44 percent.”
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
