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Monday, Feb 25, 2013 4:13 PM UTC

Kentucky Dem: I’d be surprised if Ashley Judd didn’t run

Rep. John Yarmuth expects Judd to challenge Mitch McConnell in 2014

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Topics: Ashley Judd, Mitch McConnell, Kentucky, 2014 elections, John Yarmuth,

Kentucky Dem: I'd be surprised if Ashley Judd didn't run (Credit: Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com)

A Kentucky Democrat says he’d “be surprised” if Ashley Judd doesn’t challenge Mitch McConnell in 2014.

“I would be surprised if she doesn’t run at this point,” Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky., told ABC News.

“My impression is this is something she wants to do, and she is now taking the time to make the contacts she needs to make throughout the state to try and generate commitments of support and, in some cases, fundraising,” Yarmuth said. “She is certainly acting like a candidate, a potential candidate.

He added: “I think in her own mind … she has made a decision to run and she’s doing the right thing and not ruffling any feathers along the way.”

Conservatives also seem to have decided that Judd is going to run. Karl Rove’s super PAC American Crossroads has already coughed up $10,000 on an ad targeting Judd’s ties to President Obama. And Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., recently said: “Ashley Judd is a famous actress, she’s an attractive woman, and presents herself well, and from what I understand is articulate. But the thing is, she doesn’t really represent Kentucky.”

Jillian Rayfield is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on politics. Follow her on Twitter at @jillrayfield or email her at jrayfield@salon.com. More Jillian Rayfield.

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