David Patterson, the Libertarian Party’s nominee for U.S. Senate in Kentucky, confirmed on Tuesday to the Fox Business Network that Secretary of State Allison Lundergan Grimes has certified his signatures, and he will be included on the ballot in November.
Grimes is also the Democratic challenger to incumbent Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and stands to benefit from Patterson’s inclusion on the ballot.
“I am happy to report to you that we are on the ballot,” Patterson told co-host Kennedy in his Tuesday appearance on the Fox Business Network program The Independents. [W]e got the call late yesterday and we have confirmation. I am already listed on the secretary of state’s website, as the Libertarian candidate.”
Patterson emphasized that his entry into the race significantly increases the number of undecided voters, a point first highlighted in a Breitbart News article. “[W]hether I am in the race or not, the incumbent is two points ahead of the Democratic challenger,” Patterson said, referring to a recent Bluegrass Poll. “[W]hen I am included, the undecided vote swells from about 8 percent to 13 percent,” he added.
Patterson also told co-host Matt Welch that although he has not yet met with any Tea Party groups, he intends to do so. “I have not as of yet [met with them], although I’ve just had a discussion with someone on my team this morning about reaching out with some of their leadership,” he said. “So I want speak with them and get their thoughts, if they would be willing to talk with me, and that’s something we’re planning on doing.”
Tea Partiers in Kentucky, angry at McConnell’s history of treating them poorly and stung by his crushing defeat of their endorsed candidate, Matt Bevin, in the May Republican primary, responded positively to the news that Patterson had qualified for the November ballot.
A new poll released on Tuesday by Public Policy Polling (PPP) confirms Hofstra’s assessment. In a three-way race, McConnell leads Grimes by four points, 44% to 40%, with Patterson pulling in 7% – the same level of support identified in a Bluegrass Poll released in July. In a two-way race, McConnell’s lead over Grimes increases to five points, 47% to 42%.
PPP concluded that “the race remains close, and McConnell remains unpopular — and among the undecided voters, McConnell has just a 10% approval rating to 66% of voters who disapprove of him. So Grimes should at least have a chance with those folks.”
The PPP poll of 991 likely Kentucky voters was conducted between August 7 and August 10. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1%.
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