by Joe Arnold

WHAS11.com

Posted on January 23, 2013 at 6:10 PM

Updated yesterday at 11:21 PM

LOUISVILLE, Ky (WHAS11) -- With speculation rising about actress Ashley Judd challenging U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) in the 2014 general election as a Democrat, Kentucky's senior senator is also hearing some footsteps from the right.

The leader of a coalition of 14 Kentucky tea party groups, United Kentucky Tea Party, said Wednesday he is considering mounting a primary challenge against McConnell and a Libertarian Super Pac is pledging to support a challenger "should the right candidate emerge."

Dissatisfaction from some tea party groups comes despite McConnell's partnership with tea party darling U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky) and McConnell's leading role as Republican Leader of the Senate fighting for tea party priorities of lower taxes and spending and against the national debt.

"This is the mega issue of our time and the time to fix it is now," McConnell told a business gathering in Lexington on Friday. "This is the one issue that can keep us from leaving behind for our kids and our grandkids the kind of country that our parents left behind for us."

Yet, a coalition of 14 Kentucky tea party groups is vowing to work against McConnell's re-election next year, led by former state auditor candidate John Kemper of Lexington.

"We're looking for the best possible candidate we can get to retire Sen. McConnell," Kemper told WHAS11. "This is probably his last race."

Here is the original post:

Tea party groups, libertarian Super Pac vow to challenge McConnell re-election bid