Allegations of past abuse leveled at GOP gubernatorial contender James Comer and questions surrounding possible involvement by members of the Hal Heiner campaign have created an opening for Matt Bevin in the final two weeks of the primary.
With the two frontrunners for the Republican nomination mired in a debate over the source and veracity of claims made by a former girlfriend of Comer’s, Bevin – who has been jockeying for second or third place in the polls – could wind up benefiting. And the campaign is already capitalizing on the controversy with a new ad, featuring stand-ins for Comer and Heiner engaged in a messy food fight.
“Running for governor is supposed to be about leadership,” the narrator says. “But Hal Heiner and James Comer are acting like children, throwing insults and attacking each other.”
"We are, I think, doing well. We're rising. Other campaigns are either going sideways or perhaps falling a bit, and so I like where we're positioned at this time," Bevin tells cn|2 Pure Politics.
The Louisville investment manager gained prominence as a primary challenger to Sen. Mitch McConnell in 2014. And while Tea Party Republicans may be cheering him on, some party leaders, including those close to the now-Senate Majority Leader, have been critical of Bevin’s campaign.