As the primaries neared, the president of the National Bar Association accused officials of carrying out voter suppression.

In the primary, over 937,000 people requested absentee ballots or voted early, a far greater number than usual.

He also won Elliott and Wolfe Counties for the first time, solidifying rural Kentucky's hard swing towards the GOP.

[66] Despite record breaking fundraising from McGrath and speculation that the race could be competitive, McConnell was handily re-elected.

[118] When pressed for a potential recount of the election amid legal disputes regarding the general, McConnell dismissed the idea, since, "at the risk of bragging, it wasn't very close.