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Matt Bevin Looks to Seize on Voter Apathy Among GOP

Abbey Oldham

Matt Bevin thinks he is the only Republican who can beat Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes in this year’s U.S. Senate election in Kentucky. 

Bevin is challenging Incumbent Mitch McConnell in the GOP primary.  At a meet-and-greet in Bowling Green Thursday, Bevin claimed McConnell can’t win a general election.

“There’s a fatigue for Mitch McConnell.  After 30 years, there are many people who won’t vote for him again and that gives Alison Grimes the ability to essentially beat him by default," suggested Bevin.  "It’s not as if those Republicans that voted for him in the past will vote for her, but what I think will happen is that they just won’t vote again.”

A Bluegrass poll conducted this month showed Bevin trailing Grimes only five percentage points in a potential November match-up.  The same poll gave McConnell a 26-point lead over Bevin in the primary.“That’s to be expected.  I mean we’re still three months out until the primary, but just a few months ago, I was 50 something points behind him, and then I was 40 points behind, and then 30 points, and now I’m 20 something behind him," Bevin replied.  "Every time a poll is done, he loses ground and I gain ground, so I see it as a fantastic trend.”

At his Bowling Green stop, attended by a sparse crowd, Bevin pledged to have a lot more conversations with voters.  He pointed to the same Bluegrass poll that showed 74% of respondents either had a neutral view or no knowledge of him. 

“It’s a blessing that I have the opportunity to present myself to people, but a curse in that I need to do that, and that’s what I’ll do.”

Lisa is a Scottsville native and WKU alum. She has worked in radio as a news reporter and anchor for 18 years. Prior to joining WKU Public Radio, she most recently worked at WHAS in Louisville and WLAC in Nashville. She has received numerous awards from the Associated Press, including Best Reporter in Kentucky. Many of her stories have been heard on NPR.