Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, is the longest-serving Republican U.S. Senate leader ever, and now he is America’s most unpopular Senator.
A Morning Consult poll released Thursday finds McConnell’s approval rating is even worse than President Donald Trump’s, just 36%. His disapproval rating stands at 50%. By comparison, Maine Independent Angus King is America’s most popular Senator, with a 62% approval rating and a 28% disapproval rating.
Over the past two weeks McConnell woke up – twice – to find he had new challengers.
Last week, former Marine Lieutenant Colonel Amy McGrath, a 20-year veteran and the first woman Marine to fly in an F/A-18 Hornet in front line combat, announced she is running for McConnell’s seat, as a Democrat.
And on Thursday, another Democrat, Mike Broihier, announced he too is running for McConnell’s seat. Broihier’s bio says he is a farmer, educator, former small-town newspaper editor, and military veteran.
He released this powerful video:
All of this is great news, right?
Two strong Democratic candidates challenging the most unpopular Senator should mean one Democrat will become the new Senator from Kentucky, right?
Not so fast.
“There aren’t enough Democrats and Independents to defeat McConnell in Kentucky, so as long as he keeps his approval rating up with the state’s Republicans, he will be favored to win reelection in November,” PoliticusUSA says.
And while that may be right, stranger things have happened. After all, Donald Trump is President.
Image by The White House via Flickr and a CC license