How Did Mitch Mcconnel Get Voted in Again
Senate Bulk Leader Mitch McConnell volition serve another term every bit the senior senator from Kentucky, fending off erstwhile Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath, one of his toughest challengers since he was elected to the Senate in 1984.
With 79 percent of the vote counted, McConnell led McGrath 57.9 percent to 38.3 percent, on his fashion to a 7th term.
In his victory speech, McConnell highlighted his experience and the fact that he represents a state in Eye America, noting "I'k the only one of the 4 Congressional leaders not from New York or California."
McConnell used the moment to speak on the challenges created by the pandemic, the demand to rebuild the economy, continuing the country's investment in the military and holding China accountable.
He also continued his win to Ceremonious Rights leader Martin Luther Male monarch's March on Washington Speech in 1963, saying he "dreamed of doing big things for our state and our state."
"I never imagined Kentuckians would brand me the longest-serving senator in our land's history or that my young man Senate Republicans would make me the longest-serving Republican leader in U.S. Senate history," McConnell said, equally his married woman, Transportation Secretarial assistant Elaine Chao, stood by his side.
"Together, we've used Kentucky'due south front-row seat for the good of our state and of our nation."
McConnell highlighted his piece of work to make full the federal judiciary with bourgeois judges, and he also said he maintained the Senate'due south celebrated role as Congress' deliberative trunk. That likewise opened upwardly an opportunity to take a shot at Democrats past characterizing Kentucky's vote on Tuesday as a rejection of policies he deemed socialist.
"Tonight, Kentuckians said, 'We're not finished yet.' Kentucky wants more of the policies that built the best economy in modernistic history, not socialism that would stifle prosperity and hurt workers," he said.
McGrath battled long odds by taking on McConnell in an instantly high-contour race.
A win by the incumbent had been widely expected, given recent polling in the land that showed McGrath down by ix or 10 points. Still, the state seemed to provide fertile terrain for a possible upset, as Autonomous voters outpaced Republicans in mail service-in and early in-person ballots returned, according to NBC News' Decision Desk/TargetSmart.
McGrath had spent the final moments of Election Mean solar day campaigning in fundamental and northern Kentucky and watched the count from Georgetown, Kentucky. The campaign said it had decided to non accept an Election Night party considering of the pandemic.
In a video bulletin posted to social media, McGrath thanked her supporters and "many people fighting aslope me who believed in this mission." The race, she said, was not about her or Mitch McConnell but nigh Kentuckians and the "powerful grassroots movement" that they built together.
"Although nosotros didn't get the result we wanted, the energy and optimism I saw in every corner of this state gives me so much promise for the future of our corking commonwealth," she said. "Today, the country can start to heal after these ugly and divisive iv years."
The stakes were loftier, as flipping the seat stood to sideline a major Republican player from the next Congress. McConnell is expected to serve as the leader of the minority or majority in the Senate, depending on how the balance of power shakes out.
Both sides raised and spent sizable sums: McGrath raised more than than $88 million and spent over $73 one thousand thousand, while McConnell raised $55.5 1000000 and spent nearly $44 1000000, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
In the final weeks of the election, McGrath focused her entrada on criticizing McConnell for his handling of the pandemic and inability to pass further coronavirus relief, which stuttered to a stop in the Senate.
She also striking him for further gridlock in the Senate as well equally not addressing infrastructure, racial injustice, poverty and health care issues in Kentucky.
"You know that nosotros need change," she said at a Louisville campaign stop in the final days of the election, according to The Louisville Courier-Journal. "That'south what this election is all near: health care; getting anybody the correct to vote; making sure that we tackle this coronavirus and get our economic system back; making sure we have good quality jobs for the future; tackling the racial injustice that we've seen in this land for far too long; investing in us and things like infrastructure, broadband, education for our kids and for the futurity."
McConnell laughed off the criticism during the race'southward solitary argue last calendar month, emphasizing his Hill influence.
"Look, the question is: Who tin can be constructive for Kentucky?" he said. "I give Kentucky an opportunity to punch above its weight on national bug and to bring home things for this state that it would non otherwise get."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer recruited McGrath to run for the Senate seat after she lost a close race for Kentucky's 6th Congressional Commune in 2018. While she at showtime appeared to split the difference on whether she would consider supporting President Donald Trump's agenda — including backing for his Supreme Court justices and her accusation that McConnell had undermined the president — McGrath fell into a reliable position of opposition to Trump.
That early posture in part led to a difficult Democratic primary in which state Rep. Charles Booker, a progressive Democrat, entered the race late and near claimed the nomination. She defeated him by fewer than 3 points.
Just the general election had e'er posed the stiffer challenge: McConnell defeated Kentucky's and so-Secretary of Land Alison Lundergan Grimes past 16 points in 2014, and Trump won the state by nearly 30 points in 2016.
Still, McGrath said she maintained a sense of achievement despite her loss.
"I'g proud of my contributions in helping Democrats take dorsum the House in 2018 and now hopefully the Senate in 2020," she said, referring likewise to her failed candidacy for a Business firm seat in 2018. "While we didn't win these campaigns, we were able to shore up efforts up and down the ticket in Kentucky — and on the national stage, make Republicans fight every boxing we could."
Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/sen-mitch-mcconnell-wins-another-term-kentucky-nbc-news-projects-n1246037
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