By Carrie Pond
Murray, KY – While in Murray Tuesday as part of his statewide bus tour, Republican Incumbent Mitch McConnell said the only reason the race between him and Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford is closer than it was in his last bid for re-election is because of his increased influence as Senate Minority Leader. This increase of power has garnered national attention, he says.
"So I got enemies all around the country that didn't even know my name a few years ago. And these nasty ads that have been financed largely by people from San Francisco, and Chicago and New York. And I'm confident of this- nobody in San Francisco is going to tell us who the next senator from Kentucky is going to be."
According to data through October 19th from the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP), McConnell has received over $5.7 million - that's 57 percent of his total individual voter contributions- from out-of-state residents. This figure includes over $736,000 in contributions in the Washington, D.C. area and approximately $477,000 from New York. His opponent has received 31 percent of his total from out-of-state individual donors. The CRP notes on its website it is often common practice for incumbents to receive considerable funding from out-of-state donors.