Condoleezza Rice Headlines McConnell Fundraiser at Rupp Arena
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is headlining a fundraiser in Lexington, Ky., Thursday for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a spokesperson for the campaign confirmed.
The event, which will also feature McConnell’s wife, former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, is scheduled to be held in the locker room at Rupp Arena, where the University of Kentucky plays basketball.
Rupp Arena is a publicly held stadium, owned by Lexington-Fayette County and not the university. The university itself prohibits candidates or organizations from using its property for political purposes. The news of the event was reported first by Lexington’s NBC News affiliate .
The location of the event also is notable given McConnell’s avid support of University of Louisville athletics. Kentucky and Louisville are bitter men’s basketball rivals, with Louisville being the reigning national champions. Kentucky last won a title in 2012.
The McConnell campaign would not confirm how many attendees would be at the event nor how much money was slated to be raised, but the locker room facilities are quite spacious and received a $3.1 million upgrade funded by private donors in 2012.
The Rothenberg Report/Roll Call rates the Kentucky Senate Race as Lean Republican .