Rep. Andy Barr Launches Campaign for Senate Seat Currently Held by Mitch McConnell

April 23, 2025 TruthUSA

Barr is competing against former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron for McConnell’s Senate seat, which he has held for more than 40 years.

WASHINGTON—On April 22, Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) declared his intention to run in the U.S. Senate election in Kentucky for 2026, targeting the seat currently occupied by senior Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who previously led the Senate Republican Conference.

At 83 years old, McConnell has been the leader of Senate Republicans for 18 years, from 2007 to 2025. During this period, he took on the role of Senate Majority Leader for six years (2015–2021) and served as Minority Leader for the rest of the time.

His extensive leadership spanned many significant events for the Senate GOP, including the confirmation of three Supreme Court justices and key legislation during President Donald Trump’s initial term. However, his relationship with Trump has deteriorated recently, and he announced on February 20 that he would step down at the conclusion of the 119th Congress after 42 years in service.

The upcoming contest to succeed McConnell in Kentucky—an unequivocally Republican stronghold—promises to be fiercely competitive in 2026, despite the state experiencing Democratic victories, such as two terms for current Gov. Andy Beshear.

Former state Attorney General Daniel Jay Cameron, a protégé of McConnell, has already declared his candidacy. Barr’s entry into the race intensifies the competition between two prominent figures from the state.

“The woke Left seeks to undermine America, and they despise our values, our history, and certainly, they have a disdain for President Trump. … I’m running for the Senate to support our president in preserving this great nation,” Barr expressed in a campaign announcement video on social media, highlighting his commitment to Trump as a central theme of his campaign. “We’ll reduce taxes, eliminate waste, and dismiss deep state bureaucrats … we’ll deport illegal aliens,” he continued.

Barr has been representing Kentucky’s 6th congressional district—which includes Lexington, Richmond, and Georgetown—since 2013, and is currently in his seventh term in the House of Representatives.

His political career began as an intern in McConnell’s Senate office while attending college, later serving as a legislative assistant to Rep. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) prior to Talent’s election to the Senate.

As a lawyer, Barr gained experience under former Gov. Steve Beshear, father of Andy Beshear, at a law firm in the Lexington area, as well as working for Beshear’s predecessor, Gov. Ernie Fletcher.

Gov. Andy Beshear has opted not to run in the Senate race, leaving State House Minority Leader Pamela Stevenson (D) as the only Democratic contender in their party’s primary.

On the day Barr announced his candidacy, he received backing from Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), the Dean of the House of Representatives.

Both Barr and Cameron’s campaigns have not yet responded to a request for comments.

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