Tagged: kentucky tea party

Louisville businessman Matthew Bevin is interested in taking on Republican Mitch McConnell in a primary election, but no final decision has been made.

Bevin is owner of the Connecticut-based Bevin Brothers Manufacturing, a bell-making company that has been in his family over 150 years. He is also an adviser to Waycross Partners, an investment firm in downtown Louisville.

In a statement sent to WFPL, Bevin spokeswoman Amy Lowe says the investor has met with "various individuals and groups" including Tea Party groups in Kentucky, who have voiced "frustration with their current representation."

From Bevin's spokeswoman:

These meetings, together with the recent reaction to the possibility of a primary race, have served to reaffirm the general sense of political disenchantment among many voters in Kentucky that has been widely reflected in recent articles and polls.

Louisville businessman Matthew Bevin is being rumored as a potential Tea Party primary challenge to Republican Mitch McConnell in the U.S. Senate race.

Bevin is owner of Connecticut-based Bevin Brothers Manufacturing and former CEO of an investment firm in Kentucky.

The 46-year-old businessman was profiled in 2008 for his contributions to religious and civic charitable causes

According to reports, Bevin is courting the local Tea Party with interest in running.

From The Hill:

Sarah Duran(d), president of the Louisville Tea Party, told The Hill that Bevin had been in touch with her over the phone to discuss his run multiple times over the past few weeks, and that he met with the group two weeks ago to discuss his interest in the race.

Louisville Metro Councilwoman Marilyn Parker, R-18, is urging fellow Tea Party activists to think twice before taking on Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell in 2014.

McConnell opened his re-election headquarters in Louisville over the weekend, and promised a vigorous campaign. In recent weeks, more than a dozen Tea Party groups from around the state have warned they are lining up an opponent to take on the GOP leader.

Parker attend the opening and told WFPL many in the Tea Party are upset with McConnell's leadership, particularly when it comes to federal spending.

But the East End Republican says McConnell’s position is too important to risk, and that he has stood up against President Obama's agenda in Washington.

"I think we are at a very tenuous time in the country, and it’s important that’s not jeopardized at this time,” she says.

In an interview with Yahoo News, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell admits he could face a tough primary challenge from the Tea Party in his home state of Kentucky.

Since its inception the Tea Party has been critical of McConnell's leadership despite his efforts to make peace with the movement. The strife has increased in recent weeks, with over a dozen Tea Party groups in Kentucky warning that a primary challenger is forthcoming.

McConnell says he doesn't have a sense of entitlement to the senate seat, and expects a vigorous campaign.

From Yahoo News:

McConnell acknowledged he may face a tough primary challenge in 2014, in part because he has been at odds with tea party members in his state and because those in Senate leadership roles in both parties are juicy targets for defeat.