Tagged: Ashley Judd

The Kentucky Democratic Party is trying to use Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell's re-election bid as a catalyst to raise money even before a serious challenger gets into the race.

In a series of emails bashing McConnell, Gov. Steve Beshear and other party leaders have been calling for financial donations to end the Republican floor leader's three-decade Senate career.

State Democratic Party Chairman Dan Logsdon said the results of the effort have been "awesome," though he declined to say how much has been raised.

A Politico profile of Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell's reelection campaign describes the effort as using a "scorched earth" policy against any potential challengers.

McConnell has already aired $200,000 in TV and radio ads and has approached state Republican lawmakers in the state in an effort to "lock down" support in his party. The U.S. Senate Minority Leader could potentially face a primary challenge from the right, in addition to a potentially well-funded Democratic opponent in the general election.

With actress Ashley Judd announcing this week that she will not challenge McConnell, many political observers will now renew their focus on the possible Senate candidacy of Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes.