Latest news with #Kentucky-specific
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr launches bid for US Senate; gets Hal Rogers' support
Andy Barr made it official Tuesday: He's running for U.S. Senate. The longtime Central Kentucky Congressman announced in a video posted to a campaign website Tuesday afternoon that he's running to replace Sen. Mitch McConnell, who is not seeking reelection to his seat in 2026. 'I'm Andy Barr, and I'm running for Senate to help save this great country,' Barr said in a video announcing his campaign. Barr is planning a campaign launch event in Richmond Tuesday night. The Lexington Republican has long been seen as a potential candidate for the seat given the 83-year-old McConnell's age and public-facing health issues. The 51-year-old Barr joins former attorney general Daniel Cameron in the race for the Republican primary. Cameron — who has claimed two statewide GOP primary campaigns, won his 2019 race for AG but lost to Andy Beshear in 2023 for the governor's mansion — has been running since February. The former attorney general launched his campaign on Feb. 20, the same day McConnell announced he would not seek reelection. Barr's opening line in the ad struck a pugilistic and pro-President Donald Trump chord. 'The United States is the greatest country on earth, and it's not even close,' Barr said. 'But here's the problem: The woke left wants to neuter America, literally. They hate our values, they hate our history, and goodness knows, they hate President Trump.' The ad then displays a video of people, who appear to be predominantly Black, burning an American flag. A person in the crowd is wearing a 'Black Lives Matter' shirt. 'Here in Kentucky, that's why we love him,' Barr said of Trump. The rest of the ad hits along the same message: Barr will work with Trump to defeat liberals. He says he'll work alongside Trump to cut taxes, slash waste, fire 'deep state bureaucrats,' and deport illegal immigrants. He also said he would work to end diversity initiatives, as Trump has sought to do. On a Kentucky-specific note, Barr leaned in on a pro-coal message that has become a hallmark of Kentucky Republicans in the past two decades. 'I'll fight to create jobs for hard-working Kentuckians instead of warm and fuzzies for hardcore liberals. We'll get rid of this anti-coal, do-gooder 'ESG' garbage once and for all,' Barr said. 'ESG' refers to environmental, social and governance factors considered in investing. It has been derided by conservatives, including Cameron, whose 1792 Exchange organization is focused primarily on ending its practice and other diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. In the intro video, Barr also said he would 'lock up the sickos' who allow trans women and girls to share locker rooms with 'our daughters.' 'Gender is God-given, not doctor-altered,' Barr said. Barr enters the race with the backing of a Kentucky political heavyweight, veteran 5th Congressional District Rep. Hal Rogers. 'I am proud to support my friend Andy Barr to be our next United States senator. I have no doubt that Andy Barr will fight every day to protect Eastern Kentucky and Kentucky coal in the Senate,' Rogers said in a statement. 'Kentuckians can count on Andy to have our back and always do what's right.' Though Barr has been in Congress serving his Central Kentucky-based district for more than a decade, his length of service is eclipsed by Rogers, who has served since 1981. His 44 years in the post earns Rogers the distinction of Dean of the House, reserved for the longest continuously serving member of the House. Rogers' district covers most of Eastern Kentucky and a portion of South Central Kentucky, a region rife with registered Republicans — an important commodity for Republicans like Barr seeking a statewide GOP nomination. 'There is no greater champion for Eastern Kentucky than Hal Rogers, and I am incredibly honored to have earned his support. As Kentucky's senator, I will work everyday to support Kentucky coal and the people of Eastern Kentucky as a champion for President Trump's America First agenda,' Barr said in a statement. Cameron contends he is leading in the polls. His campaign released a poll this week of what they said was 500 likely Kentucky GOP primary voters that showed him with 44% support compared to Barr at 18% in second place. Lexington tech entrepreneur Nate Morris, a potential contender, polled at 2%, and 37% of the voters were undecided. One of Barr's biggest advantages coming out of the starting gate is money. After raising more than $1.8 million into his congressional campaign account, Barr ended March with more than $5.3 million on hand. Election finance rules allow members of the House to roll those funds into a Senate campaign account. That's more than 10 times what Cameron had at his disposal after more than a month of campaigning for the Senate seat. Cameron ended the same period with $455,000 on hand. One factor that has loomed large in the early days of the campaign is McConnell's legacy. Morris, a newcomer to the Kentucky political scene, has been an outspoken McConnell critic as the senator has voted against a handful of Trump nominees. He has called Barr and Cameron 'puppets' of McConnell in his comments. Both official candidates have also distanced themselves from the sitting senator in their own ways, with Barr bashing his China policy and Cameron joining in on the criticism of his votes. The support of Trump, who has long criticized McConnell, could be a potentially decisive factor in the primary. Cameron earned that endorsement in 2023, though it's unclear if Trump will endorse at all in this race or one specific candidate. In the GOP race for governor in Arizona, the president recently endorsed two different candidates. In response to the news, Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Colmon Elridge released a statement on Barr's 'record of ignoring, neglecting and betraying' his constituents. 'In Congress, Andy Barr has done absolutely nothing while the Trump Administration cripples our economy, sends prices skyrocketing, targets Kentucky's signature industries and threatens to gut health care that 1.5 million Kentuckians rely on,' he said. 'Today, he managed to launch his U.S. Senate campaign with a two-minute video that grovels for Trump's endorsement and ignores the very real problems Kentuckians face every day.' The only Democrat with significant name ID to have declared thus far for the 2026 US Senate seat is Kentucky House Minority Floor Leader Pamela Stevenson. The Louisville Democrat raised about $70,000 as of March 31 and ended that period with about $32,000 on hand. Kentucky has not had a Democrat in either of its two US Senate seats since the late Wendell Ford left office in 1998. Despite mass spending efforts like Amy McGrath's $90 million 2020 campaign against McConnell, Democrats have not gotten particularly close to defeating Republicans in recent contests. The last time a Democrat got within single digits was 2008, and the last truly close race was 2004, when Daniel Mongiardo nearly defeated Jim Bunning.
Associated Press
07-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Software Firm Partners with Kentucky Groups to Launch Transformative Career Planning Platform
Counterpart announces the launch of Futuriti, a digital platform to help Kentuckians of all ages explore and plan their education and career paths. FRANKFORT, KY, UNITED STATES, February 7, 2025 / / -- Counterpart announces the successful development and launch of Futuriti, a groundbreaking digital platform designed to help Kentuckians of all ages explore and plan their education and career paths. Developed in collaboration with the Commonwealth Education Continuum (CEC), Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE), Kentucky Center for Statistics (KYSTATS), and the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), the platform officially launched on Tuesday, February 4, at 10 a.m. in the Capitol Rotunda. The platform incorporates current, Kentucky-specific education and labor market data to provide users with comprehensive information for making informed decisions about their futures. 'Futuriti is meant not just to be a campaign to encourage higher education, but to be a culture shift that will merge the separation between high school, college, and careers into one systematic approach to building a well-educated Kentucky workforce with increased educational attainment and labor force participation rates that meet or exceed the national average,' said Amanda Ellis, Vice President of Student Access and Success at CPE. The platform features three primary sections, as well as Future Finder, which helps users explore careers available in Kentucky offering livable wages that are aligned with their skills and interests: ● Choose Your Career Path: You can use the Futuriti Future Finder to explore careers that suit your skills and interests and learn what credentials you need to qualify. If you don't know where to start, Futuriti also connects you to career quizzes to give you some ideas. ● Continue Your Education: This section showcases Kentucky's diverse educational pathways, from universities and community colleges to technical programs and apprenticeships. It also provides information about and links to financial aid and scholarship resources. ● Start Your Career: This section helps you find jobs once you have the proper education. It includes resume-building tools, interview preparation guides, and direct access to job openings through the Kentucky Career Center's portal. 'Our work is exciting and fulfilling, especially when we partner with teams championing an initiative that will positively impact so many lives,' Drew Linn, CEO of Counterpart shares. The launch event is open to the public and will showcase the platform's features through live demonstrations. For more information about Futuriti, visit: About Counterpart Established in 1993 in Indianapolis, Counterpart is a leading custom software development firm dedicated to crafting impactful solutions. With over 200 years of combined experience, the in-house team specializes in web and mobile applications, comprehensive management systems, system integrations, and more. Counterpart works across various industries and technologies, partnering with Fortune 500 companies, non-profits, and small businesses to drive meaningful change in how clients operate and create impact. Learn more at Arianna Cruz Counterpart
