Bevin criticized McConnell at a Frankfort press conference Wednesday for being a part of "the politics of failure" for nearly three decades. And Bevin offered himself as the alternative, describing himself as a man of the people, having grown up in a farmhouse with wood stoves for heat, a garden for vegetables, and land that provided assorted animals for meat, milk and eggs.
The Louisville investment adviser charged that McConnell "has lost touch with our state, its people and our values." He will travel to several cities around the state this week to spread his message.
Bevin, a Louisville investment adviser, has begun running televison ads, telling Kentucky voters they deserve better than the 5-term incumbent, known for his fundraising prowess and his no-holds-barred campaign style. But now, some of McConnell's fundraising must now be spent on a primary race.
McConnell already has an ad of his own, attacking Bevin for accepting a $200,000 taxpayer-funded grant to rebuild his Connecticut bell manufacturing business after a fire. The ad also mentions leins against the company for unpaid taxes, calling him "Bailout Bevin."
The winner of the McConnell-Bevin matchup will likely face Democratic State Alison Lundergan Grimes in next year's general election.
WHAS reports a board member of the Louisville Tea Party has quit, saying he believes McConnell deserves re-election. Scott Reed said he still believes in Tea Party principles, but thinks McConnell's experience and influence can benefit the state and fight the Obama agenda more than a freshman Senator.
Meanwhile, fifteen Kentucky Tea Party groups petitioned two national groups, The Tea Party.net and Tea Party Nation, asking them to rescind their endorsements of McConnell.
