How did Mitch McConnell get elected to the Senate in the first place?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Back when he was first elected Kentucky was still a heavily Democratic state downballot. He's got less charisma than a wet paper bag, listening to him speak is a cure for insomnia... what sort of appeal would he have at the time to break the partisan trend?

[America Needs a 13-6 Progressive SCOTUS]

Riding Reagans popularity.

[Vosem]

Back when he was first elected Kentucky was still a heavily Democratic state downballot. He's got less charisma than a wet paper bag, listening to him speak is a cure for insomnia... what sort of appeal would he have at the time to break the partisan trend?

Kentucky hasn't been that heavy of a Democratic state down-ballot since the 1930s (although admittedly the 1970s were also a bit of a high-point). It was right of the nation for most of the competitive elections under the 1960s alignment (for 1960 and 1968), although admittedly in 1984 you'd be fair in calling it a heavily Democratic state down-ballot.

Also, even though Reagan was pretty weak in Appalachia compared to many other regions, his coattails there were much stronger than in other places; a total no-name Republican candidate almost won WV-Sen in 1984, and a serious figure probably would've won. (And McConnell was a pretty high-ranking elected official before winning office, being the Executive of the state's largest county). West Virginia and Kentucky weren't as excited about Reagan as many places, but the people there who did like Reagan apparently tended to really like him.

[Born to Slay. Forced to Work.]

Riding Reagans popularity.

Why does every single one of America’s worse problems come from Reagan

[America Needs a 13-6 Progressive SCOTUS]

I ran the numbers by the way, and McConnell lost Appalachian Kentucky in 1984.

[MT Treasurer]

McConnell is way more of a skilled campaigner than people give him credit for. He may not be the most charismatic candidate, but neither was his opponent, and he made a very effective case for firing Huddleston (tying him to the obstructionist elements within the D national party, exploiting his ineffectiveness in and absence from the Senate, hiring Roger Ailes for the famous "bloodhound" ads, etc.). He was polling way behind Huddleston in September, so the fact that he managed to eke it out in an otherwise unfavorable year for down-ballot Republicans (including in neighboring TN) and was the only Republican to flip a D-held Senate seat is quite a testament to his underrated strengths as a campaigner. It should also be noted that Huddleston was weakened by the D primary that year — the state's Democratic Governor was running against him and emphasizing his ties to special interests but he had to drop out for health reasons. McConnell (rightly) saw Huddleston's weakness in the D primary as a sign of his potential vulnerability in a GE.

Of course, McConnell also survived tough races in 1990, 1996, and 2008, so this wasn’t the only time he was underestimated by most pundits/opponents.

[America Needs a 13-6 Progressive SCOTUS]

Given that Huddleston was quite racist himself, having joined an organization designated as a hate group by the SPLC after losing, and McConnell was a moderate on many issues at 1st, I probably would have voted for McConnell in 1984 were I an eligible voter in Kentucky that year (and come to deeply regret it afterwards).