Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) secured reelection Tuesday after confirming more than 200 conservative judges to the federal courts under President Donald Trump, the fastest confirmation pace in nearly four decades.
The Associated Press called the race on Tuesday evening as McConnell led twice-failed congressional candidate Amy McGrath by 24 points Tuesday evening. The win comes after the Kentucky Republican successfully confirmed 220 of Trump's judicial nominees—including three Supreme Court justices—in fewer than 1,400 days. Former president Barack Obama, by comparison, saw just 160 nominees confirmed at the same point in his first term. Only former president Jimmy Carter saw more federal judges confirmed to the bench over the same period of time.
McConnell often touted his leadership role in his campaign against McGrath. In an October Courier-Journal op-ed, the Republican noted that he is the only congressional leader not from New York or California, arguing that he gives "Kentucky the opportunity to punch above its weight and bring home big wins we would not otherwise get if we had a rookie senator."
McGrath raised more than $90 million in the loss, with 97 percent of the funds coming from out of state, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The Democrat, whose campaign launch video did not include the word "Kentucky," ran national fundraising ads that omitted her opposition to far-left policies such as Medicare for All.
Libertarian Party nominee Brad Barron received 3.5 percent of the vote after Democrats spent millions boosting his candidacy in an attempt to siphon votes from McConnell.