U.S. Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell and his contender, Democratic candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes traded accusations on Saturday at the Fancy Farm picnic in their bid to represent Kentucky in the Senate as the 2014 election nears.

Grimes, the state secretary, claimed that McConnell failed to serve the people during his decades-long tenure, raising issues of minimum wage and equal pay for women, among others, which she said was not addressed by the Republican senator.

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"One of us represents the Washington establishment; one of us represents Kentucky," Grimes said. "One of us represents the past; one of us represents the future."

The annual picnic serves as a platform for candidates to express their political ambitions and used to lay out their plans to the state, which is attended by over 5, 000 residents this year for barbeque and politicking.

McConnell, however, fight back and said Grimes as a new contender is comparable to Democratic President Barack Obama, who run into office as a country's head with only two years of experience as a public officer. He said it would be a mistake to elect her into office in November's most expensive and hardfought  election. 

"Obama only needs one thing to keep his grip on power. He needs to keep the U.S. Senate," McConnell said, referring to the Senate ruled by Democrats.

He said the only way for the U.S. to advance is by changing the Senate and make him its new majority leader "to take America in a different direction," he said.

Defending the Obama administration and its vital projects are among the things needed to do by Grimes in order to possibly win the vote. Obama remains unpopular in the state.

"Barack Obama has been a disaster," McConnell said.

"I guess that's what we get for electing someone with no experience. He was only two years into his first big job when he started campaigning for the next one. Sound familiar? ... Well, lesson learned. We'll never make that mistake again," he added, as quoted by Politico news website.

The annual picnic was participated by cheering supporters and booing hecklers, with some who wore red McConnell shirts while Democrats wore blue Grimes shirts.

Grimes argued that the 72-year old political veteran McConnel should retire from his post and let her do that job he failed to finish, promising to push for workers' rights and higher pay.

"What a huge crowd for Sen. McConnell's retirement party," Grimes said, flagging down her rival's approval rating in the past. 

Tagselection, mitch McConnel, Grimes