Ashley Judd Senate Campaign: Kentucky Actress Meets With Donors and Democratic Senate Campaign Committee in Bid to Oust Mitch McConnell

Actress Ashley Judd may be getting serious about her potential Senate run in Kentucky.

Rumors have been flying in recent weeks over a possible Judd challenge to Republican Senator Mitch McConnell in 2014, the Senate minority leader who has represented Kentucky since 1985.

McConnell is not particularly popular in his home state, but Kentucky is staunchly red, so no viable opposition from the Democrats has ever materialized until now.

Judd's fame and wealth make her an ideal candidate to take on McConnell. He is well funded and has a high-profile both within Kentucky and nationally, but Judd may be able to stand her ground against assaults on both fronts. Judd trails McConnell by only 9 points statewide in the latest polling from Republican firms, and other surveys showed her behind by only 4 points.

However, some Democrats are wary of backing her. Judd is an outspoken supporter of President Obama and liberal causes like abortion rights, which will play poorly in the conservative state, potentially harming Democratic candidates running for other offices if Republicans turn out in large numbers to vote against Judd.

In addition, Judd currently resides in Tennessee. While the public at large may not see much difference between Tennessee and Kentucky, to some residents of the latter, Judd appears a kind of traitor. During the 2012 presidential campaign, Judd represented Tennessee, not Kentucky, as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.

The residency issue may actually be the Republicans' strongest argument against her among local voters. Karl Rove's political action committee American Crossroads has already released an ad deriding her for living out of state, accusing her of being a "radical Hollywood liberal."

Still, the Democrats have actively been courting Judd as one potential challenger to McConnell, and earlier this week she met with donors and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, according to The Hill.

Judd has made no decision yet, but she said she will make up her mind by May 6th -- the date of the Kentucky Derby.