Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has surpassed both Democratic candidates Amy McGrath and Charles Booker once again in Kentucky's Senate race, according to new polls.
The polling, which was conducted by the groups Data for Progress and Civiqs, shows McConnell has the support of 53 percent of voters compared to McGrath's 33 percent, and the approval of 52 percent over Booker's 38 percent.
This is a change from a poll earlier in June that placed McGrath, a former Marine fighter pilot, narrowly ahead of McConnell.
Representatives for McGrath and Booker could not be immediately reached for comment.
McConnell first entered the Senate in 1985. He took over as Senate minority leader in 2007 and became majority leader in 2015 after Republicans reclaimed control of the chamber.
McConnell, who calls himself the "Grim Reaper," is known for opposing progressive Democratic legislation brought to the Senate. His office was not immediately available for comment.
To oust the incumbent could prove quite a feat for the deeply conservative state, which President Donald Trump won by 30 points in the 2016 presidential election.
With her strong fundraising efforts and support from the Democratic Party, McGrath has become a formidable threat. She has long been seen as the party's front-runner compared to Booker, a representative from Louisville.
Viewed as more moderate than her competitor, McGrath has spoken about how her husband is a Republican and that she would be willing to work with Trump if he is re-elected in November.
But after anti-racist protests erupted both across the world and in Kentucky, Booker has garnered attention.
Booker is a familiar face amongst Louisville crowds as citizens have protested the killing of Breonna Taylor, a Louisville resident who was shot by police officers in her home in March.
"I think it's lit a spark that is inspiring a lot of people to believe that we need new leadership, and now is the time to elect a young black man from the poorest ZIP code in Kentucky," Booker recently told local media.
Booker has also gathered support from Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and former Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes.
Kentucky's primary election is scheduled for June 23, and will decide which candidate takes on McConnell in November.
