Mitch McConnell Turns Back Challenge from Rick Scott

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) fended off the long shot challenge from Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), the New York Times reports.

“Though Mr. McConnell won convincingly, the contest exposed a divide over strategy among Senate Republicans that is likely to complicate their attempts to counter the Democratic majority over the next two years.”

“Meeting behind closed doors for more than three hours, Republican senators sat at desks in the Old Senate Chamber, a semicircular room adorned with marble columns and an ornate central table hung with crimson fabric, to hash out their differences and vote. In a final tally of 37-10, with one person voting present, Mr. McConnell easily defeated Mr. Scott.”

Playbook: “The point of the doomed-to-fail challenge wasn’t to can him — the group of rebels knew it was a long shot — so much as signal discontent about the midterms.”