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New Poll Shows Grimes Would Lead McConnell

Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes holds a slim 4-point advantage over U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in a new Bluegrass Poll.

The poll, conducted by Survey USA in partnership with The Lexington Herald-Leader, WKYT-TV, WHAS-TV and The Courier-Journal shows many voters disapprove of McConnell but don't yet know Grimes nine months from Election Day.  The poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, puts Grimes in the lead with 46% to McConnell’s 42%.  The data revels that Grimes’ lead is more about voters’ disapproval of McConnell than solid support for Grimes. 

"This new poll confirms that Kentucky's U.S. Senate seat is up for grabs, and that the contest here will be one of the most exciting in the country," Stephen Voss, a political science professor at the University of Kentucky told The Lexington-Herald Leader. "The voters are evenly divided right now, and so many of them are still making up their minds that the contest could swing in any direction."

1,082 registered Kentucky voters were polled using automated phone calls and cell phone surveys, including 404 registered Republicans for a closer look at the GOP primary.

McConnell must first beat out challenger Matt Bevin in the May primary and according to the Bluegrass Poll it will be an easy victory.  The Louisville businessman is considered a long shot with 29% of those polled saying they would vote for him to McConnell’s 55%.