By Kristin Espeland
Louisville, KY – McConnell has already served 24 years in Washington. And Democratic challenger and entrepreneur Bruce Lunsford argued it was time for a change. McConnell acknowledged to a crowd of supporters on election night that it was a hard fought race. He says, "Campaigns like this force you to work harder. And they remind you what a privilege it is to serve. But public service has always been a special privilege for me." McConnell is Kentucky's senior Republican senator. And his campaign emphasized keeping his influence on Capitol Hill.