Although the midterm elections are still two years out, politicians are already deciding what their political futures are looking like. In Kentucky, Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, the state’s senior senator, is deciding if he wants to run for another term. However, if McConnell, who turned 83 yesterday, does not seek an eighth term, one prominent Republican in the state has already expressed his intentions to run for the seat.
Republican Rep. Andy Barr, who has represented the state’s Sixth Congressional District since 2013, told people at a campaign retreat in Palm Beach, Fla. on Feb. 10 that he intends to run for McConnell’s Senate seat next cycle. In an interview with Fox News on Feb. 14, Barr elaborated on his intentions, while also adding that his decision will be “independent” and not focused on McConnell’s political plans.
“It’s time for Kentucky to have a U.S. Senator who supports President Trump,” Barr said. The representative added, “I’m listening to supporters, advisors, friends, people I trust, but most importantly, I’m listening to my family and talking to my family, and I am grateful for the strong encouragement to run.” Barr also said, “A lot of constituents are encouraging me to run for the Senate, and I am grateful for the outpouring of financial support that’s coming my way… All I can say is, I am very, very grateful for the outpouring of support, mainly from Kentuckians, but people around the country who want to see strong, America First leadership in the U.S. Senate.” Barr finished by saying, “Ultimately, this is going to be a family decision on our timeline.”
The rebuke of McConnell came in the aftermath of the senator being the sole Republican dissenter on some of President Trump’s more controversial cabinet nominees, like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services and Tulsi Gabbard for Director of National Intelligence. He was also one of three Republicans to vote against Pete Hegseth, the president’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, causing a tie-breaking vote to be cast for him in the Senate. “He votes against almost everything now,” Trump said of McConnell on Feb. 13. “He’s a, you know, very bitter guy.”
McConnell, while also being lampooned by others in his party, is also very unpopular with Americans in general. The pollster YouGov found between Jan. 12-14 this year that, among 1,425 registered voters, the senator only has an 18% favorability rating among them, with a 64% unfavorable rating, a 46% difference. RealClearPolitics’ average for McConnell currently stands at just over 20% favorability, with 59% of voters on average having an unfavorable view of the senator.
Besides Barr, a few other Republicans are seemingly interested in taking on, or taking over for, the long-time senator. Daniel Cameron, the former Attorney General and the Republican gubernatorial nominee for the state in 2023 told the Lexington Herald-Leader this month, “I would be honored to serve in the United States Senate. Kentucky needs a Senator who will help President Trump advance his America First Agenda.” He added, “I’ve never wavered in my support. In January 2023, a year before a vote was cast in Iowa, I was the first elected leader in Kentucky to endorse President Trump. I never considered anyone else… I’ll take that same commitment and focus to Washington on behalf of the men, women and children of our 120 counties.”
Another Republican that has expressed interest is one that has never faced voters before. Lexington Businessman Nate Morris, CEO of Morris Industries, said in a post to X, “This week, I’ve seen some comments from a couple of potential candidates for Senate suggesting they will only run if Mitch McConnell decides to retire… and I think that’s exactly what’s wrong with our politics today and why we have so many politicians in Washington who are so weak that they constantly fold to the left.” He followed, “If you’re asking for permission for Mitch McConnell to run for the Senate here in Kentucky, then you shouldn’t be running in the first place because you’re not running for the right reasons.”
He also said in the post, “The last thing Kentucky needs is another weak Republican who is nothing more than a puppet for Mitch McConnell. I’m inspired to possibly run by people like President Trump and my dear friend J.D. Vance. True outsiders.”
Morris, 44, has been a political fundraiser for other Republican candidates in the past, notably raising over $50,000 for former President George W. Bush’s re-election in 2004. He has also worked in many different roles for other Kentucky Republicans. He is also personal friends with U.S. Senator Rand Paul.
Other Republicans that could potentially run for the seat are former Kentucky Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer, President of the Kentucky Senate Robert Stivers and Kelly Craft, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in Trump’s first term and a candidate for Governor in 2023. None of these candidates, however, have expressed much interest yet regarding the race.
Photo courtesy of Silas Walker.
