Rep. Andy Barr Announces Senate Campaign For Mitch McConnell's Seat
WASHINGTON—Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) on April 22 announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate election in Kentucky in 2026, for the seat currently held by senior Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the former leader of the Senate Republican Conference.
McConnell, 83, served as the leader of Senate Republicans for 18 years from 2007 to 2025, during which time he served as the Senate Majority Leader for six years, from 2015 to 2021 and as Minority Leader for the remainder.
His long tenure at the helm of the conference involved many critical moments for the Senate GOP, including the nominations of three Supreme Court justices and legislation during President Donald Trump's first term in office. His relationship with Trump has soured in recent years, and he
The race to replace McConnell in Kentucky—a solidly Republican state in federal politics but where a Democrat, Gov. Andy Beshear, has won elections to two terms in office—is considered highly competitive in 2026.
Already, McConnell's protégé, former state Attorney General Daniel Jay Cameron, has announced his candidacy. Barr's entry into the race makes the primary competitive between two of the state's well-known politicians.
'The woke Left wants to neuter America, literally. They hate our values, they hate our history, and goodness knows they hate President Trump. ... I'm running for Senate to help our president save this great country,'
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Barr has represented Kentucky's 6th congressional district—covering the cities of Lexington, Richmond, and Georgetown—since 2013. He's presently serving his seventh term in the House of Representatives.
He began working in politics as an intern in McConnell's Senate office while in college and served as a legislative assistant to Rep. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) before Talent's election to the Senate.
As an attorney, Barr worked under later-Gov. Steve Beshear, Andy Beshear's father, during their service at a Lexington-area law firm, as well as for Steve Beshear's predecessor, Gov. Ernie Fletcher.
Andy Beshear has declined to be a candidate in the Senate race, and the only Democrat competing in their party's primary is State House Minority Leader Pamela Stevenson (D).
On the day that Barr announced his candidacy, he received the endorsement of Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), who is the Dean of the House of Representatives.
Barr and Cameron's campaigns did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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