Kentucky Attorney General, Rand Paul Deadlocked In Senate Race

Frankfort, KY, United States (AHN) – Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway is statistically tied with Tea Party star Rand Paul in the state’s Senate race, according to a new poll.

The latest Braun Research/CN2 survey has the Democrat deadlocked with Paul 42 to 41 percent. Overall support for Conway is up 11 points from a deficit of 31 to 41 percent in a similar poll early this month.

The state attorney general has 54 percernt favorability in the new poll, and 23 percent of voters viewing him unfavorably. In contrast, 47 percent hold a positive view of Paul, and 36 percent have a negative view of the Republican.

Paul, an eye surgeon and the son of Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), has dismissed the survey as inaccurate. “Your polling has been as about consistent as Jack Conway has been on the issue of extending the Bush tax cuts,” a spokesman told CN2.

The GOP candidate won his party primary against a rival who had the full backing of Republican heavyweights, including former Vice President Dick Cheney and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Paul’s insurgent, Tea Party-backed campaign, however, grabbed headlines this week after he argued that drug addiction is “not a real pressing issue.”

He previously came under fire for refusing to say he would vote for the Civil Rights Act, arguing that while he opposes racism, “Does the owner of the restaurant own his restaurant? Or does the government own his restaurant?”

Conway, meanwhile, is facing questions about his stance on whether tax cuts enacted during the Bush administration should be extended.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee has been hammering the Democrat about his remarks duriing the primary race that the tax cuts should be allowed to expire. Conway now says they most of the tax cuts should be extended.

An unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. House in 2002, Conway has consistently trailed Paul in polls this year. He came out of a divisive primary race against Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo in May.

The state attorney general this week received the endorsement of the Kentucky Fraternal Order of Police, which cited Paul’s refusal to respond to invitations from the group to address members and answer a survey.

The race for the seat of retiring incumbent Sen, Jim Bunning (R-KY) is rated a tossup by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.

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