Kentucky senate race for McConnell's seat heats up
A critical Kentucky seat in the U.S. Senate will soon have a new face after former GOP leader Mitch McConnell announced his retirement in February, and Republican hopefuls appear to be gearing up for what will be a challenging primary.
Daniel Cameron, Kentucky's first Black attorney general and 2024 gubernatorial candidate, still remains the only declared Republican candidate so far after he announced his intention to run for the vacant seat just days after McConnell's retirement address.
With first quarter fundraising numbers being released on Tuesday, another possible candidate has been seemingly busy building a war chest behind the scenes.
House Republican Campaign Arm Touts 'Unstoppable Momentum' With Record Fundraising Haul
Republican Rep. Andy Barr, R-Kentucky, who has hinted at a possible run though has not officially stepped into the race, posted a sizable $2.26 million raised since January, with approximately $5.35 million in cash on hand through various Political Action Committees.
Amanda Milward, a spokesperson for the Barr campaign, spoke with Fox News Digital after the numbers were posted on Tuesday.
Read On The Fox News App
"Andy Barr is humbled by the outpouring of support from Kentuckians and donors across the country for his strong America First leadership," Milward explained. "As Andy considers running for the U.S. Senate, it is clear that Kentucky Republicans want leaders who will not only stand with President Trump, but who also have the drive and resources to win. We cannot afford to lose another statewide race."
Cameron posted $507,656 in campaign contributions and $455,395 cash on hand after expenditures.
Vp Vance Blasts Mcconnell's Vote Against Trump Pentagon Nominee: 'Political Pettiness'
"From every corner of Kentucky to supporters across the country, folks are rallying behind our campaign because they're ready for a true America First fighter—someone who will stand up for our values and advance President Trump's agenda in the U.S. Senate," Cameron told Fox News Digital Tuesday. "We're pressing forward, the path to victory is clear, and we're not looking back."
Former Senate Leader Mitch McConnell was elected to the coveted seat in 1985, making him the longest-serving senator in Kentucky history.
However, McConnell's endorsement may not carry the weight it did some years ago, given the tumultuous relationship between the Kentucky senator and President Donald Trump. Sources close to the race told Fox News Digital that a McConnell endorsement would actually do more harm than good and that the endorsement from President Trump is the key to the ticket.
While President Trump has not yet endorsed a candidate, he has made comments about both Cameron and Barr in the past.
Last week at the White House, the president made a nod to Barr's attendance during a press conference, telling the likely candidate "good luck with everything, I hear good things."
Gop Senator Reveals Why Trump's 'Complete And Total Endorsement' Will Be Crucial For His Midterm Race
Notably, a Trump endorsement for Cameron would not be the first, as the 45th and 47th president endorsed Cameron for governor in October 2023. Following Cameron's loss to Democrat Andy Beshear, Trump blamed ties with McConnell as the reason for the defeat.
"Daniel Cameron lost because he couldn't alleviate the stench of Mitch McConnell," Trump posted to Truth Social. "I told him early that's a big burden to overcome. McConnell and Romney are Kryptonite for Republican Candidates. I moved him up 25 Points, but the McConnell relationship was 'too much to bear."
To shake things up even more, a third possible candidate is eyeing a possible run for the hotly contested seat.
Wealthy businessman Nate Morris, CEO of Morris Industries and former CEO of Rubicon Investments, has also been in the mix of possible names in the primary.
Morris has already targeted ties to McConnell as a possible weakness for a potential victor, posting on X that "the last thing Kentucky needs is another puppet for Mitch McConnell."
Who the sitting president plans to support remains unclear, though it seems his endorsement in the race may be one of the more substantial in the upcoming midterm election.
Fox News Digital reached out to Nate Morris for comment but did not receive a response.Original article source: Kentucky senate race for McConnell's seat heats up
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
29 minutes ago
- New York Post
Amid storm of protests, slim majority favors Trump's approach to immigration: poll
Despite weekend protests that swept the country and recent rioting that dogged Los Angeles, a slim majority of voters still favor President Trump's handling of immigration, a new poll found. Although nearly tied, Trump notched a 51% approval to 49% disapproval rating for his performance on border security and immigration issues, an NBC News Decision Desk survey found. Earlier this month, riots broke out in Los Angeles after US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted operations in the country's second-largest city. That prompted Trump to federalize and deploy California's National Guard. Advertisement Then, this weekend, progressive groups orchestrated national protests, fueled by the Army's 250th anniversary parade, though immigration dominated many of those demonstrations. Last week, Trump teased plans to recalibrate his immigration approach and concentrate on deporting criminals rather than service workers who are residing in the country illegally. 4 Immigration has long been one of President Trump's strongest issues. REUTERS Advertisement 4 White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller has widely been seen as a driving force for the administration's tough on immigration policies. Getty Images Immigration remains Trump's strongest issue, according to the poll. His overall approval rating clocked in at 45% approve to 55% disapprove, which mirrors the outlet's findings in April. The poll also pegged internal Republican divisions over the precise goal of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, mirroring some of the internal friction within the congressional GOP. In a near tie, 40% of respondents wanted the emphasis to be on 'ensuring that the national debt is reduced,' while 39% wanted to focus on tax reduction and 21% prioritized maintaining current spending levels on Medicaid, the poll found. Advertisement A majority of both Independents (53%) and Democrats (79%) wanted the emphasis to be on maintaining Medicaid levels. Overall, the House-passed version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act would raise the national deficit by $3 trillion over the next decade, according to a Congressional Budget Office estimate. The measure slashes spending, primarily on Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), by a net $1.25 trillion as an offset to the tax cuts. 4 Many protests over the weekend railed against ICE specifically. Zuma / Advertisement Several fiscal hawks in the Senate, such as Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) have pushed for more cuts. Concern about the legislative bundle's impact on the deficit led to a scorched-earth tirade from tech mogul Elon Musk against President Trump earlier this month. The House-passed version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act slaps work requirements onto Medicaid, which provides health insurance to over 70 million low-income Americans. Coupled with other modifications to Medicaid, Republicans are eyeing around $700 billion in savings from the program over a 10-year period. Upwards of 7.8 million Americans could lose their health insurance due to the reforms, the Congressional Budget Office has projected. 4 Congressional Republicans are working to get the One Big Beautiful Bill Act across the finish line. AP The Medicaid provisions have proven to be a sticking point for Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and have drawn scrutiny from Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) as the Senate GOP mulls the mammoth bill. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is intended to be Trump's signature legislative achievement. GOP leadership is hoping to get the megabill to Trump's desk by the Fourth of July, though that timeframe looks increasingly tough to achieve. Advertisement This week, key Senate committees are set to unveil revised versions of the bill. After it clears the Senate, it will need to go back through the House before it can get to Trump's desk. The NBC News Decision Desk Poll sampled 19,410 adults between May 30 and June 10 with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1 percentage points.
Associated Press
36 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Photos of anti-Trump ‘No Kings' demonstrations across the US
Demonstrators gathered in parks and plazas across the U.S. to protest against President Donald Trump. The 'No Kings' rallies were organized in nearly 2,000 locations nationwide, including cities, towns, and community spaces. These protests followed recent unrest over federal immigration raids and Trump's deployment of the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles, where tensions escalated with protesters blocking a freeway and setting vehicles on fire. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Fox News
44 minutes ago
- Fox News
WATCH LIVE: President Trump departs for Canada for the G7 Summit
All times eastern Special Report with Bret Baier FOX News Radio Live Channel Coverage WATCH LIVE: President Trump departs for Canada for the G7 Summit
