$2 million night in Louisville for GOP

Presumptive Republcian presidential nominee and U.S. Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) appeared at a McCain Victory Fundraiser in Louisville on Saturday night that nearly broke the state's fundraising record.

The event's $2 million take nearly topped a state record, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal, falling just short of the $2.1 million raked in by at a 2007 GOP fundraiser featuring President George W. Bush.

The $2 million in contributions collected will now be divided between the campaign of the guest of honor, the Republican Party of Kentucky, and national Republican organizations.

That boost to the state Republican party comes shortly after they already showed a significant cash on-hand advantage over their Democratic counterparts. As of the last filing deadline, the RPK was holding over $1.1 million compared to the Democratic Party of Kentucky's $234,000.

McCain's appearance in Kentucky is his third in recent months. He previously visited the tiny eastern Kentucky town of Inez for a late-April campaign stop in advance of the state's May 20 primary. The Arizona Senator also addressed the annual meeting of the National Rifle Association in Louisville several weeks later.

The most recent visit was focused on the fundraising, with McCain making no other appearances. In Kentucky, McCain is currently showing a twelve point polling lead over his presumptive Demcoratic opponent, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).