Trump endorsement propels Andy Barr to Kentucky Senate primary victory
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
In one of the most crowded Republican Senate primaries in the country, President Donald Trump’s thumb on the scale proved to be the difference-maker.
Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., rose to the top of an 11-man bar fight in Kentucky, setting him up for a November showdown in place of retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., a onetime ally who has become a thorn in Trump’s side.
Although it’s a race overshadowed by another race in which Trump was the driving factor in the state, it’s still an important one, given that Barr and his Democratic rival will be at the forefront of change in the Bluegrass state’s political status quo.
HOUSE REPUBLICAN ENTERED RACE FOR MITCH MCCONNELL’S SENATE SEAT AND CREATED HIGH-EARNING GOP PRIMARY SCHOOLS
Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., rose to the top of a crowded field to win the Republican Senate nomination in Kentucky, powered by support from President Donald Trump in his quest to win retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell’s seat. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images; Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
Whoever rises to the top in November will replace McConnell, the longest-serving Republican leader in Senate history and a political force and polarizing figure during his decades in the upper chamber.
But as in many races in this and previous Trump era races, the main factor on the Republican side was the president. And Barr’s candidacy for the upper chamber after serving seven terms in the House of Representatives was bolstered by Trump’s late confirmation earlier this month.
“We had a lead before confirmation,” Barr said at a campaign event Monday. “Our lead has grown rapidly in the polls we’ve looked at since then, but we don’t take anything for granted.”
TRUMP SAYS HE ‘CAN’T STAND’ THAT SOME REPUBLICANS ARE REJECTING AN IMPORTANT MOVE FOR HIS AGENDA
This helped him unseat his main rival, former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron; Cameron was confident he could still win even without Trump’s coveted support.
“I think people are fed up with the games being played in Washington and they want someone who is looking out for their interests,” Cameron said. local news outlet WHAS11 Before Election Day.
Trump praised Barr for his loyalty to him, adding that he was “the only Candidate who could easily beat a Democrat in one of the most important Elections in American History.”
REPUBLICANS DID NOT ADD THE PROTECT AMERICA ACT TO THE PARTY-LINE FUNDING PACKAGE
Former Kentucky attorney general and U.S. Senate candidate Daniel Cameron attends the 145th annual St. John’s Eve ceremony in Fancy Farm, Ky., on Aug. 2, 2025. Jerome gives a speech at the Fancy Farm Picnic. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald Leader/Tribune News Service)
Trump also praised Barr as a strong supporter of eliminating fraud, the voting hurdle that derailed the GOP’s Protecting American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act.
The legislation has so far remained on the back burner in the upper chamber, in part due to strong objections from Democrats and a lack of support among Republicans to pass it. Last month, a version of the SAVE America Act failed to win enough Republican support in a simple 50-vote threshold.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
“He will do everything he can to make this happen,” Trump said. “The Republican Party is desperately needed to pass the SAVE AMERICA ACT and everything else necessary for a strong and bright Country!”
