This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/21/mitch-mcconnell-wins-kentucky-primary

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Mitch McConnell wins Kentucky primary in resounding victory Republican rightwing defeated in Kentucky and Georgia primaries
(about 3 hours later)
Conservative Republicans called for a Conservative Republicans have called for a truce with the party leadership in an effort to win control of the US Senate after minority leader Mitch McConnell scored a resounding win over a Tea Party challenger in Kentucky and rightwing candidates were decisively defeated in a crucial Georgia primary.
truce with the party leadership in an effort to win control of the US Senate, after minority leader Minutes after the polls closed in Kentucky the Associated Press declared McConnell the nominee for that state in a race that was once seen as the best opportunity for rightwing Republicans to punish him for backing down during last October's budget showdown in Washington.
Mitch McConnell scored a resounding win over a Tea Party Instead results showed McConnell ahead by some 24 percentage points over Tea Party-supported businessman Matt Bevin by the time 71% of precincts declared at 8.20pm.
challenger in key primary elections. The result in Georgia was far tighter and took longer to call. But shortly before midnight on Tuesday David Perdue, a businessman considered more moderate than his opponents, declared victory to his supporters in Atlanta.
Minutes after the polls closed in With almost nine out of 10 precincts counted Perdue secured 30% – the leading tally but insufficient to avoid a run-off with his main opponent, Jack Kingston, who came in second.
Kentucky, the Associated Press declared McConnell the nominee for that state, in a race that was once seen as the best Kingston, a congressman with running with the support of the Chamber of Commerce, received 26% of the vote, narrowly beating the Sarah Palin-backed candidate, Karen Handel.
opportunity for rightwing Republicans to punish him for backing down during last October's budget showdown in Perdue and Kingston ran the two best-funded campaigns and were both endorsed by GOP apparatchiks.
Washington. Tea Party-backed congressmen Phil Gingrey and Paul Broun, in contrast, both trailed badly, compounding the sense that the rightwing insurgency that has reshaped the Republican party over the last five years is finally running out of steam.
Instead results showed McConnell Neither the Kentucky nor Georgia result was a surprise given recent polling. But the speed of the Tea Party's defeat in Kentucky prompted the Senate Conservatives Fund – a self-styled “grassroots” group funding “true conservatives” – to urge its supporters to put the rancorous campaign behind them and back McConnell. In the November midterm elections he will face a tough challenge from Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, who also comfortably won her primary.
ahead by some 24 percentage points over Tea Party-supported
businessman Matt Bevin by the time 71% of precincts
declared at 8.20pm.
The result was not a
surprise given recent opinion polling but the scale and speed of the
defeat prompted the Senate Conservatives Fund – a self-styled
“grassroots” group funding “true conservatives” – to urge its
supporters to put the rancorous campaign behind them and back
McConnell. In the November midterm elections, he will face a tough challenge from Democrat Alison
Lundergan Grimes, who also comfortably won her primary.
We thank Matt Bevin for giving conservatives a choice in this election. Now it's time to unite for victory in November. #KYSenWe thank Matt Bevin for giving conservatives a choice in this election. Now it's time to unite for victory in November. #KYSen
Bevin stopped short of Bevin stopped short of endorsing McConnell but encouraged his supporters to continue “working in the confines of the Republican party”.
endorsing McConnell but encouraged his supporters to continue McConnell, who had once threatened to punch groups like SCF “in the nose” for dragging the party into a pointless budget showdown, turned instead to his Democrat opponent, accusing her of being “Barack Obama's candidate” in a victory speech that gave a taste of how Republicans plan to fight November's key midterm election.
“working in the confines of the Republican party”. With Kentucky joining states like North Carolina in rejecting the Tea Party wave that has dominated much of Washington politics for the last five years, the Democrats now face a tougher battle to hold on to the half a dozen vulnerable seats standing between them and a total loss of control in Congress.
McConnell, who had once threatened to The single significant victory for the Tea Party in this election cycle has been that of Ben Sasse, in Nebraska, although he is standing in a deeply conservative state that Democrats have scant hope winning come November.
punch groups like SCF “in the nose” for dragging the party into a While establishment candidates came out on top in the Georgia primary, the close race poses complications for Perdue and Kinsgton, who have already spent weeks in bruising campaign battles. They now face another nine weeks of head-to-head campaigning.
pointless budget showdown, turned instead to his Democrat opponent, accusing her of being “Barack Obama's candidate” in a victory "We've got a big battle coming up, a two-person race he," Perdue told his supporters in a subdued speech. "We're gonna have to work hard."
speech that gave a taste of how Republicans plan to fight November's Kingston has run a series of attack ads against Perdue. A source close to Perdue's campaign said the businessman was now likely to retaliate hard, using similar tactics to attack the congressman's voting record and paint him as a Washington insider.
key midterm election. That is good news for Democrat Michelle Nunn, who breezed to victory in her primary race, securing more than 70% of the vote. Hours before the vote was called she appeared in a hotel in the other side of Atlanta beside her father, the former Democratic senator Sam Nunn.
With Kentucky joining states like North Demographic changes in Georgia, which has seen a significant growth in minority voters, have led top Democratic party strategists to identify the state as one they can wrestle back from Republicans.
Carolina in rejecting the Tea Party wave that has dominated much of The focus of their strategy is to mobilise the large and growing Democratic base in the state but party bosses also believe Nunn – the chief executive of the Points of Light Foundation founded by former Republican president George Bush Sr – has the kind of profile that will appeal to Georgia's conservative electorate.
Washington politics for the last five years, the Democrats now face a Nunn's campaign manager, Jeff DeSantis, describes her as a "non-political candidate". Viewers of her TV ads – which emphasise her relationship with Bush – could be forgiven for thinking she is a Republican. She has studiously avoided any association with President Barack Obama.
tougher battle to hold on to the half a dozen vulnerable seats standing In an interview with the Guardian on the eve of the poll Nunn declined to say whether she would have voted for the president's Affordable Care Act and refused to say which president – Bush or Obama – had done a superior job. "I have an extraordinary respect for all of the presidents and the service that they render," Nunn said.
between them and a total loss of control in Congress. Asked again who she thought was preferable out of the Republican and Democratic presidents, Nunn replied: "As I move forward in Georgia I am going to be looking forward to working with the president, whichever party they represent."
Early results in Georgia's Republican primary also suggested
a tight race between David Perdue and Jack Kingston, two candidates
approved by the mainstream of the party.
Rightwinger Karen Handel was coming in third, although her
campaign stressed that the base of her support, Fulton county, would
be counted last, potentially providing her with a late surge.
Either way, Tea Party-backed congressmen Phil Gingrey and Paul
Broun were both trailing badly.
Meanwhile Democrat Michelle Nunn was on the cusp of securing
her nomination. Early voting figures showed her trouncing the
competition, securing more than 70% of the vote.
Few had doubted Nunn, the daughter of former Democratic senator
Sam Nunn, would secure her party's backing.
Demographic changes in Georgia, which has seen a significant
growth in minority voters, have led top Democratic party strategists
to identify the state as one they can wrestle back from Republicans.
The focus of their strategy is to mobilise the large and growing
Democratic base in the state but party bosses also believe Nunn – the
chief executive of the Points of Light Foundation founded by former Republican
president George Bush Sr – has the kind of profile that will
appeal to Georgia's conservative electorate.
Nunn's campaign manager, Jeff DeSantis, describes her as a
"non-political candidate". Viewers of her TV ads – which emphasise her relationship with Bush – could be forgiven
for thinking she is a Republican. She has
studiously avoided any association with President Barack Obama.
In an interview with the Guardian on the eve of the poll Nunn
declined to say whether she would have voted for the
president's Affordable Care Act and refused to say which president – Bush or Obama – had done a superior job. "I have an
extraordinary respect for all of the presidents and the service that
they render," Nunn said.
Asked again who she thought was preferable out of the Republican
and Democratic presidents, Nunn replied: "As I move forward in
Georgia I am going to be looking forward to working with the
president, whichever party they represent."