Liberal actress turned activist Ashley Judd is mulling a run for the Senate in Kentucky two years from now, hoping to take down Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Four knowledgeable sources told
Politico Judd is seriously considering the idea. She already has discussed the possibility with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and a Democratic pollster, they said. And she’s researching her own weaknesses in the state, where she spent most of her childhood.
“She is doing all the things that a serious candidate exploring a race should do,” Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., told Politico. “I think there are a lot of people, and I was one of them, who wanted to let her know that her candidacy would be an exciting prospect for us. That’s what I wanted her to know. A lot of the labor unions, they were telling me that too.”
There’s a chance Judd could sit tight until 2016 and then challenge freshman GOP Sen. Rand Paul instead of McConnell.
Democrats admit that it’s tough to attract a strong candidate to run against McConnell because he’s such a potent force. Some Democrats think Judd’s star power makes her just the right person. Others are worried about her liberal views, lack of experience, and that her primary residence is now in Tennessee.
Judd’s movie credits include “Kiss the Girls,” “Double Jeopardy,” and “High Crimes.” In 2010, she received a Master in Public Administration degree from Harvard University. Judd is married to racecar driver Dario Franchitti, a three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500.
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