How McConnell brings home wins to Kentucky

Hello, and welcome back to On Kentucky Politics ! We are Rebecca Grapevine and Hannah Pinski, part of The Courier Journal's politics team.

Tonight is the first presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. CNN is hosting the rematch between the two candidates in its Atlanta studio starting at 9 p.m. ET. It will air live on CNN, CNN International, CNN en Español and CNN Max.

The last time Biden and Trump faced off was 2020, and this particular debate comes at a unique time as neither candidate has been formally nominated. But primary election results show voters will almost certainly see a rematch from 2020 on the November ballot.

In Kentucky , Biden and Trump were both declared as early victors while other political heavyweights such as former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis struggled to keep pace. Specifically in Jefferson County, Biden pulled 82.1% of the Democratic primary vote while Trump pulled 77.9% of the Republican primary vote.

We'll be tuning in to the debate and will keep track of what Kentucky's politicians think of tonight's showdown.

Here's a rundown of Courier Journal political news for the past week:

'Not a showman: How McConnell brings home wins for Kentucky : Sen. Mitch McConnell steps down from his leadership post in November, but many Kentuckians and politicians say the state won't lose too much. That's because there's more to McConnell's success than just his leadership position, so read here what folks had to say on what the senior senator will bring to the state as he serves out his term.

Abortion activist with Kentucky ties to campaign for President Joe Biden, Kamala Harris : Kentucky native Hadley Duvall is advocating for reproductive and abortion rights as part of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' re-election campaign. She first gained attention after appearing in a video for Gov. Andy Beshear's re-election campaign last fall and has continued to share her story publicly.

Louisville metro police chief resigns : About two weeks after being placed on administrative leave for her handling of internal sexual harassment allegations, Louisville Metro Police Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel has resigned. Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg made the announcement at a news conference Tuesday and also said Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey, who has been leading the department following the suspension, will continue to lead the department as interim chief.

Help us get to know Our Kentucky Home : Fun fact about us: We're huge coffee drinkers. So, where's your favorite local coffee shop to grab an iced or hot coffee?

Write to us with your Kentucky politics, story ideas, and questions: rgrapevine@courier-journal.com and hpinski@courier-journal.com .

We hope you have a wonderful week!

Best,

Rebecca Grapevine & Hannah Pinski

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: How McConnell brings home wins to Kentucky