Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., right, waits in line to check in to vote in the midterm election at the voting precinct at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Ky., Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014. The Kentucky Senate race, with McConnell, a 30-year incumbent, facing a spirited challenge from Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, has been among the most combative and closely watched contests that could shift the balance of power in Congress. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)More election coverage
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ADAM BEAM, Associated Press
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell has fought off a fierce challenge from Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, winning a sixth term and the chance to become the second Senate majority leader from Kentucky.
McConnell’s paltry approval ratings fed Democratic hopes of unseating the minority leader in a state where Democrats control the governor’s office and five of the six statewide constitutional offices.
The 30-year Washington veteran focused on President Barack Obama’s even lower approval ratings in Kentucky, turning the race into a referendum on his presidency and presenting himself as the candidate of change.
Early returns tabulated by The Associated Press showed McConnell having a decisive victory over Grimes.