Rep. Andy Barr Launches Bid For Mitch McConnell’s Open Kentucky Senate Seat

Republican Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr announced Tuesday that he is stepping into the race to succeed retiring Republican Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell in 2026.

In an X post announcing his candidacy for Kentucky’s open Senate seat, Barr vowed to “deport the illegals, end this DEI nonsense, and lock up the sickos who allow men into girls locker rooms.” The Kentucky Republican’s entrance into the race comes after McConnell announced in February that he would not seek reelection.

“I’m running for Senate to help our president save this great country,” Barr said in his candidacy announcement video.

Barr’s campaign website emphasizes issues such as border security, extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts and keeping biological men out of women’s sports.

“Working with President Trump, I’ll fight to create jobs for hardworking Kentuckians, instead of warm and fuzzies for hard-core liberals,” Barr said in the announcement video.

The battle for Kentucky’s open Senate seat is expected to be one of the most closely-watched and expensive races in the 2026 midterms.

Former Republican Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who previously described