Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has pledged to support whoever wins the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, even if that’s McConnell’s primary challenger, Matt Bevin.
Kentucky’s Republican Party is calling on both candidates to sign a pledge committing to support the eventual Republican nominee, whether it’s Bevin or McConnell, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.
The McConnell campaign said the top Senate Republican would support the nominee, even if it isn’t him.
“From day one, Sen. McConnell has committed to supporting the winner of the primary election,” McConnell spokesman Allison Moore said according to the Kentucky newspaper. “The stakes of this election are too high to give President Obama another vote in the U.S. Senate with Alison Lundergan Grimes.”
Bevin’s campaign, meanwhile, did comment on the pledge.
Polling of the race has shown Bevin’s chances of winning the nomination fading. In April, Bevin’s campaign also lost a few staffers.
The Kentucky Republican primary is on May 20.
(H/t: The Hill)
Mitch McConnell demonstrates again what a noble, selfless man he is.
Is this like the pledge to make Obama a one term President?
Don’t know if that was such a good idea. McConnell is a shoe-in in the primary and, during the general election, Grimes can use McConnell’s pledge of support for Bevin to tie McConnell to all those Bevin screwball positions.
Eh, I don’t know how boxed in Bevin would really be by this. When he loses there might actually be more money and TP fame in refusing to endorse and continuing to be anti-establishment. Frankly, I’m still not convinced this race is over just yet. There haven’t been any new primary polls in months and he’s got a lot of signage in Republican strongholds. If anything, the fact that McConnell is engaging him at all tells me his internal polling must be making him sweat a little. Plus, most KYian don’t yet give a shit about this race. It’s DERBY!
Jim, that’s yet another reason I think this race has gotten a lot closer. Why would McConnell engage him at all? Why potentially have Bevin’s crazy hung around his neck(s)?