The race between Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) and Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes (D) is a tight one, with the lead in the polls changing hands several times as the Nov. 4 election approaches. Though the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee recently pulled its funding from Grimes’ campaign, the candidate is still well-positioned financially, continuing to break fundraising records. McConnell has been trying to tie Grimes to Obama, but she has been distancing herself from the president, pitching herself as a “Clinton Democrat.” Grimes went so far as to decline to say whether she voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012 when asked multiple times, a decision that many in the media criticized. Meanwhile, Grimes has cast McConnell as the master of partisan gridlock who has lost his effectiveness in Washington, painting herself as the senator of the future. In this rural, conservative state, where coal and gun control are two of the biggest issues, it remains to be seen whether Grimes can upset the Republican incumbent in the midterm election. In the meantime, test how much you know about this crucial race:
Democratic Governor Steve Beshear has pushed kynect as one of his signature initiatives.
Coal is a traditionally important industry in Kentucky, though coal employment in Eastern Kentucky is down 38% since 2011.
Other Republicans have used similar language when asked about the topic.
Grimes laid out her plan in an op-ed in the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Grimes also noted in the ad that she disagrees with Obama on coal and the EPA.
Elections buff? Then you know that Hagan and Tillis are neck-and-neck in the Tar Heel State — try your luck on the N.C. Senate Quiz.
Daniel Berger