The Democratic-aligned Ditch Mitch Fund announced on Tuesday that it is reserving $1 million in TV ads against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) ahead of the November election.
“Today we are making an initial down payment on the campaign our grassroots movement will be funding against Mitch McConnell this year,” Ryan Aquilina, the executive director of the Ditch Mitch Fund, said in a statement.
“Online, in the mail, on the radio, door-to-door, and on television sets across the state, we’re going to show every voter that Mitch has been fighting for himself and his special interest donors – not Kentucky,” he added.
The group characterized the ad reservations as the “first of many expenditures” they will make as they aim to unseat McConnell, who is running for his seventh term in the Senate. The group has already spent more than $1 million on ads targeting McConnell.
McConnell’s status as the Senate GOP leader makes him a top target when he is up for reelection. Democrats, believing his low approval ratings make him vulnerable, have tried for years to unseat McConnell.
McConnell was the second most unpopular senator, behind only Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), according to a Morning Consult survey conducted at the end of 2019. The survey had McConnell at 37 percent approval and 50 percent disapproval.
Amy McGrath — who is battling against state Rep. Charles Booker and Lincoln County farmer Mike Broihier for the Democratic nomination in Kentucky — outraised McConnell during the first quarter of 2020.
McGrath reported raising $12.8 million in the first three months of the year compared to McConnell’s $7.5 million. But the GOP leader has a slight cash on hand advantage at $14.9 million to McGrath’s $14.7 million.
Democrats would need to net three or four Senate seats to win back the majority in November, depending on which party controls the White House.
Kentucky isn’t currently among the handful of battleground states, like Arizona, Colorado and Alabama, that are expected to determine which party controls the chamber.
Political handicappers label the Kentucky Senate race as “likely” Republican.