As McConnell exits, Kentucky Republicans trade barbs in race for Senate power

Three Republicans competing to succeed longtime Sen. Mitch McConnell tried to define themselves before the political attacks that could come Saturday when they share the spotlight at the Fancy Farm picnic, a daunting rite of passage for candidates seeking statewide office in Kentucky.

“You’re going to hear some barbs tomorrow, but what I want to focus on is my vision for serving in the United States Senate,” Daniel Cameron, one of the candidates, told a GOP crowd Friday evening.

Cameron’s rivals in next year’s Senate primary, US Rep. Andy Barr and businessman Nate Morris, used their speeches at the event to introduce themselves to Republican voters in western Kentucky.

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All three could shift into attack mode against each other Saturday afternoon at the Fancy Farm picnic, the Bluegrass State’s premier political event. Politicians compete to land the sharpest, and sometimes most outlandish, barbs, and have to endure shouting and heckling from their rivals’ supporters. The picnic could turn into a Republican skirmish since Democratic politicians are mostly skipping the event.

McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader in US history, revealed in February, on his 83rd birthday, that he won’t seek another term in Kentucky and will retire when his current term ends. His pending retirement has set up a fierce competition for his seat.

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Warming up for their appearance that will air on statewide TV at Fancy Farm, the three GOP rivals kept to one script they’ve all shared, lavishing praise on Republican President Donald Trump.

Barr portrayed his congressional experience as an advantage that sets him apart. He represents a district stretching from central Kentucky’s bluegrass region to the Appalachian foothills.

“I’m an ‘America First’ fighter in the United States Congress,” Barr said Friday night. “Other people like to talk about being a Trump guy or being with Trump. I’ve been with President Trump from day one. I’m not just talking about supporting President Trump. I’ve done it. I’m continuing to do it.”

Giving voters a glimpse into his political philosophy, Barr said: “I’m a guy who was raised in the era of Ronald Reagan. I believe in limited government, free enterprise and a strong national defense.”

Morris, a tech entrepreneur, portrayed himself as a populist and a political outsider while trying to attach himself to Trump’s popularity in Kentucky.

“What we’ve seen with this president is that he has put emphasis back on the American worker,” Morris said Friday night. “And the people that have been in Washington for all this time – the elites – they sold out the American worker.”

Morris also touted his hardline stance on immigration. He said he supports a moratorium on immigration into the United States until every immigrant currently in the country illegally is deported.

Cameron, who is Black, used his speech to rail against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

“We don’t need … an America built on DEI,” Cameron said. “We need a country that’s built on MEI – merit, excellence and intelligence.”

Cameron entered the Senate campaign with one clear advantage — a higher statewide name recognition than his rivals. Cameron served one term as state attorney general and lost to Democrat Andy Beshear in the 2023 governor’s race.

“You’ve been with us in the past,” Cameron told the GOP group Friday night. “I hope that you’ll be with us this time. We’re going to get it done because we know that what happens in this seat will have reverberations across this country.”