As voters head to the polls in Nebraska, GOP Senate primary candidate Ben Sasse disputed the existence of a feud between him and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
During an election day appearance on MSNBC’s “Daily Rundown” on Tuesday, host Chuck Todd asked the president of Midland University if he is comfortable with McConnell as the leader of the GOP.
“Absolutely,” Sasse replied. “I mean the national media loves the idea of playing up this intra-Republican Party kinda civil war stuff but it’s just not what Nebraskans are talking about on the ground. It’s been pretty overblown in our race.”
“I’m a team player and looking forward to supporting whoever our leader is,” Sasse said.
Polls suggest that Sasse, who boasts of support from a number of national conservative groups, is the man to beat in Tuesday’s GOP primary to replace retiring Republican Sen. Mike Johanns.
Sasse is running against former state treasurer Shane Osborn and businessman Sid Dinsdale.
McConnell has not taken sides in the GOP primary. But a super PAC connected to former McConnell aides have attacked Sasse ahead of the contest.
McConnell and Sasse’s relationship have made news before: Last year, The National Review reported that McConnell and Sasse had a tense meeting at the Capitol in November over the candidate’s relationship with the Senate Conservatives Fund, an organization that often spars with McConnell and anti-establishment candidates.