Poll: McConnell leads McGrath by 5 points. Beshear’s job approval rating is 63%.
A public poll released Thursday showed former Marine Corps Pilot Amy McGrath trailing U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell by 5 percentage points, as McConnell navigates difficult negotiations over the next coronavirus relief package.
The poll, conducted by Quinnipiac University, surveyed 909 registered voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points. It found that 49 percent of voters supported McConnell while 44 percent of voters supported McGrath. Another 5 percent of voters were undecided.
The poll shows a much closer race than a Morning Consult poll released Tuesday morning, which found McConnell leading by 17 percentage points. The results of the Quinnipiac poll fall more in line with internal polls released by the McGrath campaign, which the campaign has used to argue the race is still within reach.
“This confirms what our own polling has shown for the past year,” said Mark Nickolas, McGrath’s campaign manager. “Senator McConnell is in a fight for his political life against an opponent who will outraise him and while his own caucus is growing unhappy with his lack of leadership over the pandemic.”
The McConnell campaign declined to comment.
McGrath, a significant underdog in the race, has spent millions boosting her name recognition across the state, but the poll found she had a negative favorability rating, with 32 percent having a favorable impression of her and 42 percent saying they have a negative impression of her. One fourth of respondents said they haven’t heard enough about McGrath to have an opinion.
Some of McGrath’s unpopularity could be attributed to a contentious primary campaign. Only 66 percent of Democrats said they had a favorable opinion of McGrath, compared to 79 percent of Republicans who view McConnell favorably. Much of the discontent came from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.
McGrath’s attempts to stay closer to the middle of the political road may be paying off with independent voters. Among independents, McGrath was viewed negatively by 32 percent, compared to 54 percent for McConnell.
McGrath is hoping to replicate the path to victory of Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who won election in 2019 against former Gov. Matt Bevin. Beshear. The Democratic governor, who has spent the past five months attempting to navigate the politics surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, had a 63 percent job approval rating.
McConnell, too, has had a major role in shaping the federal response to COVID-19. After helping to negotiate an aid package that injected $2 trillion into the economy, he has found himself in a difficult position over the most recent relief package. Congress did not extend the extra $600 in weekly unemployment benefits that has helped prop up the economy.
Only 46 percent of respondents approved of the job McConnell is doing as U.S. Senator while 49 percent said they approved of President Donald Trump. Trump led Joe Biden by 9 percentage points (50%-41%), which would be a significant slip from 2016, when Trump won by 30 percentage points.
This story was originally published August 6, 2020 at 3:03 PM.
