WASHINGTON — Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) raked in nearly $1.4 million in marketing campaign donations final quarter, amassing a greater than $6.42 million conflict chest within the intently watched 2026 Kentucky election to switch retiring Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, in keeping with the newest fundraising figures shared with The Submit.
The seven-term GOP congressman’s marketing campaign haul is posing a problem to his major opponents — former Bluegrass State Legal professional Common Daniel Cameron and rubbish removing entrepreneur Nate Morris — for McConnell’s outdated seat.
As of the final submitting on Sept. 30, Morris had a $1,070,461 marketing campaign conflict chest, and Cameron recorded simply $629,748 — making the Home rep’s donations roughly six and 10 occasions the quantity of his opponents, respectively.
Barr was main the Senate Republican contest’s fundraising discipline with greater than $6.6 million money available reported, although the Morris Industries CEO topped his opponent in that quarter’s contributions with greater than $4 million in donations.
A lot of that got here from an round $3 million private mortgage the businessman gave to his marketing campaign.
McConnell, 83, stepped down as Senate majority chief after the November 2024 elections and introduced he wouldn’t search re-election the next February.
The longest-serving chief of any social gathering within the higher chamber had suffered painful falls — one in all which left him concussed and with a minor rib fracture — and freeze-ups lately.
President Trump’s return to the White Home additionally laid naked once more divisions between the 2 that peaked after the 2020 election, which the forty fifth commander-in-chief claimed had been stolen from him and McConnell denied.
Morris, in a gap video advert for his marketing campaign, laid into the Republican senator for having “trashed Trump” and claimed Cameron and Barr had been ready within the wings for the Senate seat as McConnell’s “puppets.”
Barr has been pushing again on the characterization by racking up endorsements from staunch Trump allies — together with former White Home doctor and Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), Home Majority Chief Steve Scalise (R-La.), and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY).
His marketing campaign has additionally been touting that he’s the very best candidate to defeat Senate Democratic frontrunner Charles Booker.
In line with a current Public Coverage Polling survey, Barr would defeat Booker by 11 proportion factors, 49% to 38%, if the 2026 election had been held in the present day.
Cameron would have a seven-percentage-point benefit, 49% to 38%, and Morris would have a one-percentage-point benefit, 41% to 40%.
“Andy Barr is the strongest candidate on this race. He’s dominating with grassroots help, constructing sources, incomes main endorsements, and is the one marketing campaign rising within the polls,” mentioned Blake Gober, Marketing campaign Supervisor for Barr for Senate in an announcement.
“He’s the one candidate who can take this seat off the map and is the very best candidate to proceed serving to President Trump Make America Nice Once more.”
Trump has but to make an endorsement for the Senate race in a state he gained by greater than 30 proportion factors final November.
