MINNEAPOLIS – U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Southgate) told PolitickerKY.com he has been hard at work fundraising for candidates for Kentucky’s state legislature.

“I’ve been going around trying to assist some of our down-ticket people so they can run a competitive race and hold their seat or win a new one,” Bunning said.

The two-term U.S. senator said he had headlined five fundraisers for state legislative candidates in the last three weeks, noting he is hopeful Republicans can make gains in a series of targeted districts.

Bunning spoke enthusiastically about the candidacy of former state Rep. Bob Heleringer, who is seeking a state Senate seat in the 19th district – part of metro Louisville.

“It’s looking a heck of a lot better than most of them do in Jefferson County,” said Bunning about Heleringer’s bid against incumbent Tim Shaughnessey (D-Louisville).

Bunning noted that the seat in question also contained areas formerly within Heleringer’s state House district. Heleringer served in the state House for 23 years.

Republicans currently control the state Senate in Frankfort, but the Kentucky Democratic Party has talked up their chances in evening the odds in that chamber.

“Heleringer would really help,” Bunning said.

The senator also said he was working with state Rep. Jim Decesare’s (R-Bowling Green) re-election bid in southern Kentucky. Decesare faces Charlene Rabold (D-Bowling Green) in that race that was named by House Speaker Jody Richards (D-Bowling Green) as a potential pick-up for Democrats to strengthen their majority in the state House.

Bunning also said two northern Kentucky races were important to him – state Sen. Damon Thayer’s (R-Georgetown) bid to keep the 17th district and state Rep. Alecia Webb-Edginton’s (R-Ft. Wright) effort to win her first general election in the 63rd district.

Webb-Edgington won a special election in January of this year to seize that seat.