(LEX 18) — A new poll released Tuesday shows Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has a sizable lead over his Democratic challenger in Kentucky's U.S. Senate race.
The Morning Consult poll, which surveyed 793 likely voters, showed McConnell leads retired Marine Lt. Colonel Amy McGrath by 17 points, 53% to 36%.
The poll found that if the 2020 election were held today, 84% of Republicans would vote for McConnell, and 79% of Democrats say they would vote for McGrath. Independents favor McConnell over McGrath 45% to 33%. 12% of Democrats say they will vote for McConnell, and 7% of Republicans say they would back McGrath.
6% of likely voters say they would vote for someone else, and another 6% say they are still undecided.
Of the voters polled, 59% said they would vote for President Donald Trump. 35% said they would back former Vice President Joe Biden.
There are currently 53 Republicans in the U.S. Senate and 45 Democrats and two Independents, both of whom caucus with the Democrats. Democrats would need to win four seats held by Republicans and retain all of their current seats to win a majority.
While Kentucky, Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas are viewed as reaches for Senate Democrats in 2020, the poll suggests Democrats could win in other key states, like Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, and North Carolina.
Morning Consult weighted responses in each state separately based on age by gender, race by education, home ownership, marital status, population density, and presidential vote history. There's a 3-point margin of error.
