Mitch McConnell should be grateful he’s not facing a challenge from the Kentucky tea party upstart who triumphed in 2010.
Democratic pollster PPP tweeted out a few nuggets on Monday from its latest survey of Kentucky, and the results look pretty humbling for the Senate minority leader.
With an approval rating of 31 percent, McConnell’s standing in Kentucky is identical to that of President Obama. Comparatively, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) boasted a 49 percent approval rating, the poll found. The freshman senator eclipses McConnell among Republicans in the state, too.
According to the poll, Kentucky Republicans prefer Paul over McConnell by a whopping 59-27 percent margin.
Barack Obama and Mitch McConnell have identical 31% approval ratings in Kentucky. By contrast Rand at 49% approval
— PublicPolicyPolling (@ppppolls) December 16, 2013
Kentucky Republicans say they like Rand Paul better than Mitch McConnell by a 59/27 margin
— PublicPolicyPolling (@ppppolls) December 16, 2013
McConnell is facing a challenge from Republican businessman Matt Bevin, although polls have shown the incumbent is in a comfortable position to win the GOP primary.
In 2010 it was Paul who played the role of conservative insurgent en route to a victory in Kentucky’s open Senate race. McConnell endorsed former Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson over Paul in the primary that year.
