McConnell issues smackdown of Kentucky Dem governor's call to abolish the Electoral College

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., connected Friday blasted his location state's Democratic governor, who precocious called for the Electoral College to beryllium abolished.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Wednesday the state needs to "move to a spot wherever 7 states don’t determine the presidency." 

"We’ll person amended government. We’ll person amended politics. We’ll person amended elections erstwhile we get to that point," the politician said astatine a gathering of Democrats successful Lexington, according to the Kentucky Lantern. At a Thursday property conference, the politician clarified that helium was calling for a nationalist fashionable ballot system, which would necessitate changing the Constitution to destruct the Electoral College. 

"I deliberation to bash that, we would yet person to abolish the Electoral College," Beshear said, per the Lantern. "I cognize that’s been with america a agelong time, but we spot wherever things presently stand." 

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Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear speaks during the 2024 Democratic National Convention astatine the United Center successful Chicago connected Monday, August 19, 2024.  (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

In a effect released Friday, McConnell said Beshear showed "disregard" and adjacent "borderline disdain" for the Constitution with his remarks.

"I privation I could accidental I’m amazed by the latest calls to abolish the Electoral College – but I’m not. Democrats’ disregard – and borderline disdain – for the law guardrails that safeguard our governmental strategy has lurked beneath the aboveground of their rhetoric for a long, agelong time," said McConnell.

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., attends a Congressional Gold Medal ceremonial to grant World War II veterans of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal Services Company, known arsenic the Ghost Army, successful Emancipation Hall connected Thursday, March 21, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Beshear joins a increasing fig of Democrats who are successful favour of the nationalist fashionable ballot determining the result of statesmanlike elections, arsenic opposed to the Electoral College system, which grants each authorities a fig of electors who formed ballots for the president. There are 538 electors successful total, which matches the fig of national representatives from each state. A campaigner needs a bulk of 270 electoral votes to triumph the White House. 

In 48 states, those electors are awarded to the victor of the state's fashionable vote. But successful Maine and Nebraska, electoral votes are awarded by legislature district. 

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Fox News Power Rankings statesmanlike map. (Fox News)

Opposition to the Electoral College has dramatically accrued since Republican George W. Bush won the presidency successful 2000 but mislaid the fashionable ballot to Democratic nominee Al Gore. Former President Trump likewise mislaid the fashionable ballot to Democrat Hillary Clinton successful 2016, adjacent though helium snagged the White House with an Electoral College win. 

Democrats reason these outcomes were unfair and did not bespeak the volition of the majority. Republicans reason that the Electoral College is simply a indispensable restraint connected bulk regularisation that protects number interests, peculiarly those of Americans who unrecorded successful agrarian parts of the country. 

"No instauration is excessively beloved if it stands betwixt a Democrat and their progressive ‘reforms’ to ‘preserve democracy’ – the modular euphemism for partisan powerfulness grabs connected the Left. Those genuinely acrophobic astir the aboriginal of our state should telephone for strengthening our law guardrails, not obliterating them," McConnell said Friday. 

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"At its core, the Electoral College protects Americans from the whims of the majority, thing I’m acquainted with successful the Senate. It’s what makes our democracy, and our sprawling nationwide elections, feasible. And it’s what compels presidents to govern nationally alternatively than pandering to the interests of New York and California. Without it, nary statesmanlike campaigner would ever question to a tiny authorities successful Middle America, similar Kentucky."

Representatives for Beshear did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.