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1996 United States Senate election in Kentucky

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FieldValue
election_name1996 United States Senate election in Kentucky
countryKentucky
typepresidential
ongoingno
previous_election1990 United States Senate election in Kentucky
previous_year1990
next_election2002 United States Senate election in Kentucky
next_year2002
election_dateNovember 5, 1996
image_size150x150px
image1Mitch-McConnell-110th.jpg
nominee1**Mitch McConnell**
party1Republican Party (United States)
popular_vote1**724,794**
percentage1**55.45%**
image2Steve Beshear by Gage Skidmore.jpg
nominee2Steve Beshear
party2Democratic Party (United States)
popular_vote2560,012
percentage242.85%
map_image1996 United States Senate election in Kentucky results map by county.svg
map_size300px
map_captionCounty results
**McConnell:**
**Beshear:**
titleU.S. Senator
before_electionMitch McConnell
before_partyRepublican Party (United States)
after_electionMitch McConnell
after_partyRepublican Party (United States)

McConnell:
Beshear:
The 1996 United States Senate election in Kentucky was held on November 5, 1996. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell won re-election to a third term with a 12.6% margin of victory over Democrat Steve Beshear, who later successfully ran in 2007 and 2011 for governor of Kentucky.

Democratic primary

Candidates

  • Tom Barlow, former U.S. representative from Paducah (199395)
  • Steve Beshear, former lieutenant governor of Kentucky, former attorney general of Kentucky and former state representative
  • Shelby Lanier, perennial candidate

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

  • Tommy Klein, perennial candidate
  • Mitch McConnell, incumbent U.S. senator

Results

General election

Candidates

  • Steve Beshear (Democratic), former lieutenant governor of Kentucky, former attorney general of Kentucky and former Kentucky state representative
  • Mac Elroy (U.S. Tax Payers)
  • Dennis Lacy (Libertarian)
  • Mitch McConnell (Republican), incumbent U.S. senator
  • Patricia Jo Metten (Natural Law)

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of December 31, 1996CandidateRaisedSpentCash on handSource: Federal Election Commission
Mitch McConnell (R)$5,030,245$5,031,293$189,324
Steve Beshear (D)$1,772,276$1,770,035$1,448

Campaign

In 1996, Beshear started out trailing against McConnell, with an early general election poll placing McConnell ahead of Beshear 50% to 32%. The campaign ultimately became quite harsh, with the McConnell campaign sending "Hunt Man," a take off of Chicken George dressed in "the red velvet coat, jodhpurs, black riding boots and black helmet of a patrician fox hunter." This was done as a means of criticizing Beshear's membership in a fox hunting club in Lexington, and undercut the Beshear campaign's message that McConnell was a Republican in the mold of Newt Gingrich and that Beshear was the only friend of the working class in the race. Beshear did not make much traction with the electorate during the campaign. By October 1996, Beshear had narrowed the gap between himself and McConnell slightly, with McConnell leading Beshear 50% to 38%.

Results

References

References

  1. "Archived copy".
  2. "Archived copy".
  3. "Candidate financial totals".
  4. Janofsky, Michael. (June 25, 1996). "Political Briefing;The Campaigns for Congress". [[The New York Times]].
  5. Wines, Michael. (August 11, 1996). "The Campaigns For Congress". [[The New York Times]].
  6. (October 6, 1996). "McConnell Holds 12-Point Lead Over Beshear in Poll". [[Lexington Herald-Leader]].
  7. "Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives".
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