Embracing the label is a political must if Grimes is going to make her name in the Senate.

In one of the toughest Senate races, the Republicans have poured millions into advertising campaigns throughout Kentucky to link Grimes with President Barack Obama’s “war on coal”

They are betting voters will blame Obama and in turn Grimes for the mine closures and job losses that have devastated Kentucky in recent years.

Grimes maintains she is a “different breed of Democrat” who can stand up to Obama and the party’s angst against traditional energy sources.

The Senate race in Kentucky mirrors the argument playing out across other conservative states, such as Louisiana and Alaska.

Grimes will no doubt come under the spotlight this week when Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency announce new regulations limiting carbon emissions.

Diligently showcasing her opposition to the EPA regulation, Grimes has done well to regain a spot as a top contender for the Senate.

Obama lost 22 percentage points in Kentucky during the 2012 election.

He has not visited Kentucky in support of Grimes and has invested very little in ad campaigns against rival McConnell.

Current polls show Grimes and McConnell are neck and neck in the run-up to the election, giving the “pro-coal Democrat” hope of securing a seat as the party clings onto its six-seat majority in the Senate.