KY-SEN: How to beat Mitch McConnell
Instead of piling attacks on McConnell, those groups are probably better off boosting third-party candidate Brad Barron. The libertarian farmer and businessman already shares a common mission and motto with Democrats: “It’s time to ‘Ditch Mitch.’ Vote for The Barron!” Democrats will likely promote Barron as a pro-life, pro-Second Amendment constitutional conservative and try to portray McConnell as a creature of Washington, considering he was first elected to the Senate at the beginning of Ronald Reagan’s second term.
Barron filed a statement of organization with the Federal Election Commission on Oct. 17 but hasn’t filed since. Which means he’s raised and spent less than $5,000 on his campaign.
Even without much of an initial public profile, two Democratic polls from January showed Barron receiving 5 percent and 7 percent of the vote respectively. The same surveys showed McGrath narrowly behind (43-40 percent in the Garin-Hart-Yang survey) or tied (at 41 percent, according to Change Research) with McConnell.
Being close in the polls isn’t new for McConnell. Six years ago, he was running even with or narrowly ahead of Grimes in the spring and summer before opening up a lead in the fall and ultimately winning by 16 points. But the national political environment will not be as favorable to Republicans this year as it was during President Barack Obama’s second midterm, and McConnell won’t outspend McGrath by $12 million.
Sometimes polls can overstate support for a third party candidate because respondents are given the name of an individual. But the surveys demonstrate how the dynamic of the race can change with a significant third-party presence. Libertarian nominees in Kentucky received 2 percent in the 2019 gubernatorial election and 3 percent in the 2014 Senate race, but without the financial backing Barron is likely to receive.
https://www.rollcall.com/2020/04/23/how-to-beat-mitch-mcconnell/