Carney: Grimes ‘ran a very poor race’

Former White House press secretary Jay Carney said Tuesday that Democratic Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes (Ky.) ran a “very poor” campaign against incumbent GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell.

{mosads}Carney’s harsh words for Grimes — once seen as having a chance to oust the Senate minority leader — came moments after it was widely reported that McConnell had easily won a sixth term 

“Alison Grimes, in the end, started strong but ran a very poor race,” Carney said on CNN.

Carney criticized Grimes for declining to say whether she voted for his former boss, President Obama.

“I think it was probably a done deal even before she refused to say whether she had voted for the president. But that put the nail in the coffin.”

Carney was analyzing the race shortly before The Associated Press called it for McConnell, who is hoping to become the Senate majority leader if Republicans take control of the upper chamber.

Carney later suggested this is the likely outcome.

“Unless Democrats are able to pick up some Senate seats at some point, it’s likely Republicans will take the Senate,” he said later in the evening.

Updated at 9:23 p.m.