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1996 United States Senate election in Kentucky
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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.
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Democratic primary
Candidates
- Tom Barlow, former U.S. representative from Paducah (1993–95)
- Steve Beshear, former lieutenant governor of Kentucky, former attorney general of Kentucky and former state representative
- Shelby Lanier, perennial candidate
Results
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Republican primary
Candidates
- Tommy Klein, perennial candidate
- Mitch McConnell, incumbent U.S. senator
Results
General election
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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
In 1996, Beshear started out trailing against McConnell, with an early general election poll placing McConnell ahead of Beshear 50% to 32%.[4] 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.[5] 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%.[6]
Results
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See also
References
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