U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell made a stop in Bell County Tuesday, while campaigning in Eastern Kentucky, touting the importance of his leadership on behalf of Kentucky to supporters gathered at the Community Action Agency in Pineville.  
 
“The question in this election is: will Kentucky go to the back row, or will it continue to enjoy the privileges of having a Senator in leadership in Washington D.C.?” McConnell said.
 
Over the years, Senator McConnell has secured a total of $4.3 million for the purchase of Fern Lake by the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.  Fern Lake is a water source for Middlesboro and one of many land conservation legacy projects Senator McConnell has helped to secure funding for. 
 
McConnell’s bus tour, which kicked off on Monday, will make 62 stops and travel four thousand miles before it wraps up in two weeks.  Senator McConnell also traveled to Bell, Knox and Whitley counties on Tuesday.
 
Congressman Hal Rogers and Bell County Judge Executive Albey Brock joined Senator McConnell in Pineville and touted his leadership in the Senate and how it benefits the people of Kentucky.
 
Rogers told the crowd that McConnell has worked to ensure Kentucky’s coal industry is kept on the forefront of national energy legislation.
 
“We need all the help we can get on coal and Mitch McConnell is solid with us,” Rogers said. “The other side, if you listen to them, is not going to be a friend of coal and we need Mitch there because of his experience to help us."
 
Senator McConnell is the Republican leader of the U.S. Senate and only the second Kentuckian to lead his party in the Senate. He is able to use his position to deliver for Kentucky and takes pride in representing conservative, Kentucky values in Washington D.C.
 
Judge Executive Brock told the crowd that they have a once in a lifetimes opportunity to make an impact in a national election.
 
“We need to do all we can to re-elect Senator McConnell and it should be readily apparent to all of us why we need him in Washington,” Brock said. “He has done a tremendous amount for all of Kentucky and Bell County”
 
During this year’s campaign, Senator McConnell has been endorsed by the Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police, the National Vietnam & Gulf War Veterans Coalition, the National Right to Life and Kentucky Right to Life
 
Several newspapers across Kentucky have endorsed Senator McConnell, urging their readers to re-elect him because of his effective leadership, knowledge and responsiveness to the needs of Kentuckians. Newspaper endorsements include the Messenger-Inquirer in Owensboro, Advocate Messenger in Danville, the Kentucky Enquirer in northern Kentucky and the Ledger Independent in Maysville.