Sen Jim Bunning (R-Smarmy) intends to stay in the race in 2010, even though a potentially superior Republican has raised a ton of cash.
Bunning: Fundraising won't top Grayson's $600,000
Here are a few choice tidbits:
Bunning told reporters Tuesday that he doesn't expect his fundraising total for the second quarter to match the more than $600,000 taken in by Trey Grayson, the Kentucky secretary of state who formed an exploratory committee in May to look at a possible Senate run.
That is right: Bunning won't say how much he has raised, but he has "$375,747 on hand at the end of the first quarter". Crikey! I haven't seen Bunning's poll numbers in a while, but only die-hard Republicans like him, and I think Bunning can be beat here in KY.
Oh, right. The money quote:
Bunning, speaking to reporters on a weekly conference call from Washington, said he is confident that as long he remains in the race, Grayson will not run for his seat. And Bunning said he intends to stay in the race.
Two well known Democrats, Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo and Attorney General Jack Conway, are vying for the Democratic nomination. Neither has released their second-quarter fundraising.
Of the two, Mongiardo has better name recognition here, being the Lt. Gov., and, he ALMOST beat Bunning 5 years ago even though no one had heard of him before that race. If Bunning really does run, Mongiardo will crush him.