During an economic downturn, Mitch McConnell believes he can bring the most money into the state.

McConnell, the Republican incumbent in this year’s Senate race, said he has secured more than $500 million for Kentucky through his seat on the Appropriations Committee. Democratic opponent Bruce Lunsford cites the figure as about $127 million for Kentucky.

Electing Lunsford, McConnell said, would make that number drop.

“We cannot afford to trade Kentucky’s clout and influence in for a guy who will go immediately to the back row and take Kentucky out of the decision-making process,” McConnell said in an e-mail interview with the Kernel.

McConnell, a senator for 24 years and the current Senate minority leader, held a double-digit lead over Lunsford after the May primaries. However, in the months since, the margin between the two has become razor-thin, which McConnell said can be attributed to his position.

“Because I am my party’s leader in the U.S. Senate, I am a bigger target for the San Francisco liberals than I used to be,” McConnell said. “But in the end, I am confident the people of Kentucky will recognize I am the candidate who best shares their values and who can do more to move our state forward.”

Several campaigns within the state have criticized McConnell, including liberal blogs such as “Ditch Mitch” (www.ditchmitchky.com) and BlueGrassRoots (www.bluegrassroots.org).

Such blogs say McConnell has kept cozy ties with big business executives, among other things.

McConnell said he always kept the best interest of the state in mind in his Washington relationships.

“My only interest is what is best for Kentucky,” he said. “Have I worked with groups and industries that employ thousands of Kentuckians? Sure, because my top priority is creating good jobs throughout the Commonwealth.”

McConnell said his chief goals for another term would be helping small businesses, keeping taxes low and boosting the economy. He said his support of the $800 billion federal bailout was necessary and believes the plan contained sufficient oversight.

McConnell also said he would support securing funding for UK and college students.

He cited past legislation, including the Setting Aside for a Valuable Education (SAVE) Act, an act he supported which makes tuition savings plan earnings exempt from federal taxes. He also mentioned other legislative steps.

“When it looked like the credit crisis might prevent Kentucky’s students from getting student loans for this fall, I stepped in and passed legislation to protect Kentucky’s students,” he said. “I have also supported numerous increases in the federal Pell Grant Program.”

In his time in the Senate, McConnell said his work strengthening higher education was one of the two things he was most proud of accomplishing. The other is the Tobacco Transition Payment Program, also called the “tobacco buy-out,” which ended the federal tobacco marketing quota and price support loan programs established during the Great Depression. The program has given $2 billion to Kentucky’s tobacco farm families.

McConnell gave no specific regrets.

“I have cast more than 8,000 votes in the Senate, and I am sure I could think of a few I would like to have back,” he said. “That said, I think this election is about who can do more for Kentucky in the next six years, and I am clearly that candidate.”