Democratic Senate candidate Jack Conway took a risk by focusing on his opponent’s colorful college history and according to a new survey from a Democratic polling firm, Kentucky voters aren’t buying it.
Conway released a television ad on Oct. 15 that accused Republican Rand Paul of “mocking Christianity” in college, which his campaign hoped would resonate with people of faith in Kentucky. Support for Conway has plunged over the past few weeks, and he now trails Paul by 13 points, according to a Public Policy Polling survey released Tuesday.
While Paul’s approval ratings have remained constant, Conway’s have been dropping ever since the ad went live. A majority of Kentucky voters (52 percent) now have an unfavorable view of the state attorney general, PPP reported.
“There’s little doubt the ad has backfired,” PPP Director Tom Jensen in a statement discussing the poll.
Among independent voters, Paul led Conway by only seven points in September, but he now enjoys a 39 point advantage.
The data is consistent with a Fox News poll, also released Tuesday, that shows Paul leading Conway 50 percent to 43 percent.