Amy McGrath files for Kentucky Senate bid against McConnell

Democrat Amy McGrath has filed to run for Kentucky’s Senate seat, setting up a possible contest with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). 

“Honored to have Martha Layne Collins, the first and only woman governor of Kentucky, and my mom, one of the first women to graduate from UK med school, to sign my papers as I filed to run for Senate,” the candidate tweeted on Friday. 

She also said she visited the office of Gov. Andy Beshear (D), who defeated Republican incumbent Matt Bevin (R) in an election last month. 

Honored to have Martha Layne Collins, the first and only woman governor of Kentucky, and my mom, one of the first women to graduate from UK med school, to sign my papers as I filed to run for Senate.

We also stopped by our new governor’s office—George liked his big chair. pic.twitter.com/KbMANk4RXf

— Amy McGrath (@AmyMcGrathKY) December 27, 2019

McGrath, a Marine veteran who nearly flipped a GOP-held House seat last year, told The Associated Press that Beshear’s victory “gives us momentum because it shows that against an unpopular Republican incumbent, a Democrat can win.”

“And we win by talking about those bread-and-butter issues that Kentuckians really care about,” she added. “With Mitch McConnell, we’re not going to get any progress on these things.”

McConnell’s campaign manager Kevin Golden criticized McGrath, telling the wire service that she “can’t possibly make a cogent argument that she could do a fraction of the good Mitch McConnell does for Kentucky.”

Another Democrat, Mike Broihier, also filed to run for the Senate seat on Friday. 

Broihier is a farmer and educator, as well as a former newspaper editor and Marine officer.

Just filed at the Kentucky Secretary of State’s office to beat @senatemajldr pic.twitter.com/djcVpCV9yY

— Mike Broihier (@MikeForKY) December 27, 2019

The Cook Political Report rates the Senate race as “likely” Republican.