Ashley Judd may be stepping away from acting to pursue another role. Judd has been getting plenty of ink regarding a possible turn as a U.S. senator for Kentucky.

Judd's love of Kentucky has been well documented. Judd has frequently been seen attending University of Kentucky college basketball games and the Kentucky Derby -- and the actress has also played an active role in Kentucky politics.

Recently, Judd has been an active supporter of Tennessee Democrats, according to the Associated Press. (She previously moved from Kentucky to Tennessee.) And the actress campaigned for President Barack Obama's re-election, USA Today reported.

The reason for the speculation is that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is up for re-election in 2014. It has been rumored that he may be vulnerable due to the fact the Republicans were unable to gain control of the Senate this. At this point, no Democratic candidate has stepped up to challenge the 70-year-old McConnell, AP said.

USA Today, citing Huffington Post analyst Howard Fineman, wrote that Kentucky would embrace Judd's bid for a Senate seat and that raising money for a campaign would be easy. Judd's Kentucky roots are deep, and she is the daughter of country singer Naomi Judd and the sister of Wynonna Judd.

For now, a Judd Senate bid is speculation, but the actress does not rule out a potential campaign in 2014.

Speaking of the speculation, Judd released Friday a statement quoted by AP: "I cherish Kentucky, heart and soul, and while I'm very honored by the consideration, we have just finished an election, so let's focus on coming together to keep moving America's families, and especially our kids, forward."

"Sen. McConnell and his wife are big fans of Ashley Judd's movies and appreciate her energy, especially when it comes to bringing young people into the political process," Jesse Benton, McConnell's campaign manager, told AP. He reserved his criticism for those who are pushing her candidacy, the news cooperative said.

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