Image copyright Getty Images Image caption McConnell also tweeted support for Walker in New Jersey
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has endorsed US politician Mike Huckabee’s son Chris, a former college football player, in a bid to unseat US Senator Richard Blumenthal in Connecticut.
The endorsement came a day after Republican Connecticut Governor Miro Schurz accepted a campaign committee’s donation to Mr Chris Walker.
Blumenthal has repeatedly said he wants a special election.
Democrats have backed General Tom Foley, a more moderate candidate.
Walker family connection
McConnell, who is also re-nominating Foley for governor, says Chris Walker is “the most qualified candidate to continue the hard work of breaking down the bitter partisanship in Washington”.
He says that during his son’s tenure as executive director of the Foundation for Judicial Excellence, the group improved judicial nominating processes in states.
“I know Chris will also seek to put an end to partisan posturing and the obstructionism that is wrecking our country,” he says.
Blumenthal has asked the US Supreme Court to schedule a special election to fill the vacancy left by former Senator John McCain, who died in August 2017.
Foley has said he would not pursue the election until November 2019, because Connecticut doesn’t have an election year until 2020.
Blumenthal says that election is needed to give “other states a choice as well”.
Last week, American media reported that both Republicans and Democrats were pushing for a special election.
Democratic strategist Steve McMahon says the competition is “unhealthy”, because it “leads to fraud and mischief.”
