Alison Lundergan Grimes: Democratic Challenger Could Topple Mitch McConnell, Experts Say

Alison Lundergan Grimes has won the right to take on Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell this November, and while she seems like a long shot, some political experts think Kentucky’s secretary of state may be poised to pull off the upset.

Grimes won the Democratic primary this week, defeating Dee Huddleston in a race that polls had projected as a dead heat. Grimes is the daughter of a former state party chairman and a close friend of the Clinton family, with her connections giving many Democrats hope to oust one of the most powerful Republicans.

Alison Lundergan Grimes has already proven to be a powerful fundraiser. She has pulled together $8 million since announcing her candidacy last year, and still has about $5 million left after her primary victory.

She also has some help in the battle. Bill Clinton has hit the campaign trail in support of Grimes, helping to raise $600,000 at a February event in Louisville.

Though she has been criticized for her lack of experience, experts say Alison Lundergan Grimes has a spotless record to run on.

“She hasn’t made any major errors in her statewide office,” Stephen Voss, political science professor at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, told CNN . “Then again it’s also not an office where you can distinguish yourself either.”

Grimes has been off to a slow start so far, not running her first television ad until two weeks ago. Though her strategy was to lay low and let McConnell take a hit from his primary opponent, some experts believe she may have missed an opportunity to strike early.

“Both she and the McConnell campaign will have a tug-of-war over how she will be defined,” Voss said.

Grimes will have some work to do if she wants to win. Her connections to the Clinton family and the Democratic establishment may not earn her much credit with Kentucky voters, where President Obama is unpopular with 60 percent of voters.

To counter this connection, Alison Lundergan Grimes has touted herself as an independent Kentucky woman, a strategy likely to continue through to the general election.