After a campaign season characterized by the Democratic endorsement of incivility, Amy McGrath narrowly lost to incumbent Republican Andy Barr in Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District, which he won by 20 points just two years ago.
McGrath’s campaign technique was simple and radical, given the media landscape. Rather than endorse hot, far-left policies and attack Barr, McGrath focused on healthcare policies such as adding a public option to Obamacare markets and, most significantly, refused to air attack ads.
Ultimately, the latter had to have hurt her. On the one hand, a razor-thin loss for a Democrat in this district is a feat on its own, especially considering that Barr spent millions of dollars for thousands of attack ad airings while McGrath spent none. In an age when extremism and viciousness have prevailed, McGrath’s ability to nearly flip the district points to a positive direction for campaigns in the future.
On the other hand, this is war. McGrath launched a highly publicized and well-funded campaign well over a year ago. Short of nasty ads, McGrath still pulled out every stop and couldn’t come out on top. But it took a late visit from President Trump and immense spending by Speaker Paul Ryan’s Congressional Leadership Fund for Republicans to prevail.
It looks like Madison County, where President Trump recently visited, ultimately carried the day for Barr. Democrats would be wise to realize that McGrath’s attempt was Herculean on its own, and a narrow loss itself demonstrates that perhaps there’s still a place for a decent, wonkish Democrat to flip a less Republican district.
And for Republicans? Well, perhaps Trump stood in the way, at least in part, of the Blue Wave after all.
