GOP Hopefuls Leads Democratic Rivals in Kentucky Senate Race

Both Republican contenders for Senate in Kentucky have leads over the two Democrats seeking their party's nomination in the race to fill the seat of retiring GOP Sen. Jim Bunning, according to a Public Policy Polling survey conducted Dec. 18-21.

That result comes against a backdrop of the rising unpopularity of President Obama and national Democrats in the state, as well as strong opposition to the health care reform legislation that they are advocating.

Republican Rand Paul, an eye surgeon and son of Texas Rep. Ron Paul, leads Democratic Attorney General Jack Conway and Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo by identical margins -- 42 percent to 36 percent with 22 percent undecided. The margin of error is 2.8 percent.

Paul's GOP primary opponent, Secretary of State Trey Grayson, does somewhat better against the Democrats than Paul, although he trailed Paul badly in a poll PPP released Tuesday. Grayson leads Conway 40 percent to 33 percent with 27 percent undecided and he is ahead of Mongiardo by 44 percent to 35 percent with 21 percent undecided.