Chuck Schumer

The ad below from U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) is curious. It's probably good for driving up U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) name id in the state (his name is mentioned seven times in 60 seconds). But beyond the base, does this really resonate when the economy is in a recession and people are worried about their jobs?

In today's Roll Call, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chairman Chuck Schumer confirms that their internal polling shows the U.S. Senate race between Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) and Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville) to be a tie:

Schumer said Wednesday that Kentucky and Georgia - where GOP Sen. Saxby Chambliss is in an unexpectedly tough race - are now on his radar as potential pickups given recent polling.

"They're both tied. Our private polling mirrors the public polling that these are even-steven races. We believe we can win in both of those states. We're devoting resources to them. In fact, you can go on our Web site. Our first Kentucky ad starts today," Schumer said.

Check back next week to view my Convention Sketchpads from the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis.

DENVER – Attorney General Jack Conway (D-Louisville) is attending his first Democratic National Convention as a delegate this year, though he was previously at the three previous conventions in different capacities.

“I think this one is the best,” Conway told PolitickerKY.com. “There is an energy here that was missing at some previous conventions.”

Conway is making the convention rounds as an Obama delegate, but he said that discussion among those he meets at events often turns to Kentucky’s Senate race between Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville) and incumbent Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville).

At a reception earlier in the week, Conway said even Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chair Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wanted information on Lunsford’s bid.

“Everyone is asking me about Bruce Lusnford’s race,” said Conway. “Chuck Schumer, the Senator from New York, grabbed me by the arm and said ‘tell me about that Lunsford race.’ He was very interested in it. A lot of people focus on Bruce’s race.”

Schumer had earlier encouraged Lunsford to jump in the Democratic senate primary.

Shortly after spokeswoman Allison Haley voluntarily left the campaign of Democratic Senate nominee Bruce Lunsford, more changes are occurring for the Louisville businessman's effort to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville).

Joe Gerth of the Louisville Courier-Journal reports Lunsford has brought Michael Donilon, of Blizzard Communication, on board as its new media consultant.

Donilon is a long-time Democratic pollster and consultant who recently served as a senior advisor to the U.S. Sen. John Kerry’s (D-Mass.) 2004 presidential bid.). He is also a veteran of the consulting firm Shrum, Devine, & Donilon.

Lunsford campaign spokesperson Cary Stemle said the impact of Donilon’s work would be seen in the coming weeks.

“You soon will see the tone the campaign is going to take,” Stemle told PolitickerKY.com. “His imprint will become clear.”

WASHINGTON – Despite recent polls showing U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) with a solid lead over Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chair Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said today that Lunsford was in a strong position heading towards the fall.

Lunsford “is showing the ability to reach out to people on both sides of the aisle,” Schumer said at an afternoon press conference at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee. “What we believe is that once people learn who Bruce Lunsford is…he’s going to beat Mitch McConnell. We think that this is a winnable race.”

Lunsford, a businessman who ran unsuccessful campaigns for governor in 2003 and 2007, is coming off a May 20 primary victory over businessman Greg Fischer. He faces an uphill battle in his challenge to McConnell, a fourth-term incumbent who is currently serving as Senate Minority Leader. A recent Republican-commissioned poll conducted after the primary showed McConnell with a 50 percent to 39 percent edge over Lunsford. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report currently categorizes the race as the “Likely Republican.”

Shortly after his victory over Greg Fischer in the U.S. Senate race's Democratic primary, Bruce Lunsford got a few words of encouragement from Sen. Charles Schumer, the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Schumer's statement looks toward the general election campaign against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell:

"Kentuckians who want to change the direction the country is headed will have a chance to do so in November by electing Bruce Lunsford. Bruce is an outstanding candidate, and as the Democratic Party's nominee for Senate, I know he will run a campaign that will make Kentucky proud. Republicans in Washington have obstructed change in our foreign and economic policies for too long, and by electing Bruce Lunsford, Kentucky can reject that obstructionism and move the country forward."

Wednesday night’s Democratic debate in Louisville between two of the candidates vying for the chance to challenge four-term U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) was a mostly cordial affair marked by the absence of apparent frontrunner Bruce Lunsford.

The senatorial campaign of Democrat Greg Fischer is confirming remarks Fischer made Saturday at the Kentucky Democratic State Central Executive Committee in Frankfort.  read more »