My colleague Nathan Gonzales has written a terrific piece on Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, the young Democrat mentioned as a potential challenger to veteran GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell. He explains her election as Kentucky secretary of state and her family's connection to the Clintons, among other things. But while her position as a statewide elected official would seem to make Grimes a formidable contender for the Democratic nomination and possibly even a threat to McConnell, her office probably isn't much of a launching pad for a tough U.S. Senate race. Other than state attorney general and state treasurer, most downballot state offices don't have enough visibility to translate immediately to a high-profile federal race. There are former secretaries of state in the Senate, but they generally were elected to another office — Joe Manchin and Jay Rockefeller became governor, while Sherrod Brown, Dean Heller and Roy Blunt were in the House — before winning election to the Senate. (more…)
