CNN – It was billed as the day’s marquee primary battle, but in the end it was an easy night for Mitch McConnell.
CNN projects that the five-term senator from Kentucky — who’s the top Republican in the chamber — will defeat tea party-backed challenger Matt Bevin in Tuesday’s primary.
Kentucky is one of six states holding primaries on Tuesday and, again, anti-establishment candidates face long odds in high-profile Republican showdowns.
While his primary battle ended up easier than originally expected, McConnell now faces a much tougher test, as he battles Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes in November’s general election.
Grimes, a rising Democratic star who faced no real opposition in her party’s Senate primary, already has had big names — such as former President Bill Clinton — team up with her on the campaign trail.
