McConnell Holds on to Kentucky Senate Seat

Kentucky voters re-elected Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell over Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford in a race that turned into the most expensive ever in Kentucky at $25 million and counting. Lunsford, a health-care entrepreneur, had set his sights on taking down Sen. McConnell, the state’s best-known politician and a senator who has represented the state for the past 24 years. In a tough night for Republicans, McConnell’s victory represents a bright spot of sorts. According to an analysis from The Cook Political Report, Defeating McConnell would have been “the ultimate prize for Democrats, both for its psychological impact and to avenge then-Majority Leader Tom Daschle’s defeat in 2004.” (link)