Republican Senator Mitch McConnell embarks on a three-day bus tour of eastern Kentucky's coal country today.
McConnell will visit 15 counties in eastern Kentucky as he seeks re-election to a sixth term. He will be joined by Republican U.S. Reps. Hal Rogers, Andy Barr and Thomas Massie. McConnell has made coal a key part of his re-election campaign, saying it is the job of Kentucky’s U.S. Senator to protect coal jobs. Eastern Kentucky has lost 7,000 coal mining jobs since Jan. 1, 2012. Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes visited six eastern Kentucky counties on Saturday. Tuesday, she will campaign with former President Bill Clinton in western Kentucky.