A Louisville tea party leader has endorsed Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell for re-election next year. Marilyn Parker is a member of the Louisville metro council, and she says she has always supported McConnell and that she made today’s (Friday’s) formal public pronouncement to remove any doubts. Parker’s endorsement is important to McConnell's re-election bid because he faces a challenge from tea party candidate Matt Bevin in the GOP primary. The eventual Republican nominee will likely face Democratic front-runner Alison Lundergan Grimes in the general election.