It’s official: Andrew Horne, an Iraq vet and Louisville lawyer, is in the race to challenge Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. MediaCzech has the scoop in the diaries, and Page One has Horne’s online announcement video.
The biggest hurdle that Horne now faces is showing that his campaign can raise some serious dollars in order to raise his statewide profile. Horne’s only prior political experience in Kentucky was losing the 2006 KY-03 primary to John Yarmuth. While no candidate could out-raise McConnell at this point, Horne would have to raise a significant amount to be competitive.
You can find Horne’s official website here.
If so, I’d consider it bad news, not good.
Horne is far from a top challenger to McConnell — he’s a third tier challenger at best. Our best hope is that he is able to make McConnell spend some of his war chest so that he can’t write it all over to the NRSC. Kentucky is officially off the target map if he’s our candidate.