Last February, longtime Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) rocked the political world by declaring that he would not seek an eighth term to the Senate. While the announcement was surreal to some, it wasn't surprising given the former Republican Leader’s advanced age and ongoing health issues. For many on the right, the news was more than welcome, as the perpetual thorn in the party’s side was finally on his way out. Whenever a stalwart of the Upper Chamber decides to stand down, there is usually a mad scramble to replace him and this time is certainly no exception. Several Republican candidates have already declared their intention to succeed McConnell, while a potential wild card waits in the wings. As is customary, I will grade each prospective major candidate and give my personal endorsement at the end of the article.
Daniel Cameron: D-
The first major candidate to announce his campaign for Senate was former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron. Cameron wasted no time jumping into the field, officially doing so the day after McConnell’s decision. Cameron has long been known as one of McConnell’s top proteges and someone on the short list to be a potential successor, so he was likely aware of the situation behind the scenes. Cameron’s launch was met with negative sentiment across the base, given his recent electoral history. Back in 2023, he ran for Governor in an attempt to unseat Democratic Incumbent Andy Beshear. Kentucky does possess an ancestral Democratic streak at the local level, but this was seen as a prime opportunity to oust a fake moderate. Cameron had all the establishment support in the world and even received the endorsement of Donald Trump, but he ended up losing by a rather disappointing 5% when the dust fully settled. Trump then proceeded to trash both Cameron and McConnell for their toxic brand in the Bluegrass State. Looking back, it’s actually painfully obvious why Cameron lost in the first place. Despite the Trump endorsement, Cameron ran a textbook establishment Republican campaign, which didn’t motivate Kentucky voters in the slightest. His record as Attorney General was also deeply underwhelming. Keep in mind, Cameron was only one of two Republican state Attorneys General not to sign onto Donald Trump’s 2020 election challenge, despite representing a deep red state. I’m sure McConnell had a word with Cameron behind closed doors on that one. He couldn’t even bring himself to utilize his silver bullet issue to his advantage back in 2023, which was the potential replacement of Mitch McConnell to the Senate. That was likely his best opportunity to nationalize the race and he flat out refused to challenge Beshear on it in any meaningful way. This is also likely why Trump backed Cameron, in the effort to expedite McConnell’s departure from the Senate. Regardless, this was a very winnable race and Cameron blew it, so it really grinds my gears that he thinks he can now shamelessly shift his attention to a Senate run. We should not tolerate failing upwards in the Republican Party. Losing a very winnable gubernatorial race does not entitle you to a promotion. Furthermore, attaching yourself to the most unpopular politician in America in an effort to progress your career is also a non-starter. Fundamentally, Daniel Cameron shouldn’t be rewarded for failure and corruption. I’m sorry, but Cameron’s candidacy is an affront to Republican voters.
Andy Barr: F
Following the announcement of Daniel Cameron was that of Congressman Andy Barr. As the longtime Representative of Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District, he has established a reputation of being a “moderate.” He is a member of the House Main Street Caucus, which advertises itself as a group of “pragmatic conservatives who get things done.” In reality, the group is a collection of RINOs and sellouts that habitually stabs its voters in the back. Barr also maintains average to below-average voting index scores. While these scores are not necessarily the be-all and end-all to judge a politician’s record, it does give us a starting point to gauge whether someone is worth a damn, and Barr is definitely not worth much of a damn, at all. He has previous praised McConnell as one of his closest mentors and his voting record definitely reflects that sentiment. When Barr launched his Senate bid, he then shamelessly attempted to re-brand himself as a “MAGA candidate” and claimed to be one of Donald Trump’s strongest supporters. Don’t make me laugh, Andy. Do we really need another corporatist phony, who just happens to represent Kentucky’s most upscale Republican district? Barr would unequivocally represent a continuation of McConnell’s legacy in the Senate and it would send the absolute wrong message to the electorate to elevate this guy. In essence: hard no on Barr.
Nate Morris: B+
The final major declared candidate is businessman Nate Morris. Morris founded Rubicon Technologies and Morris Industries and built up both entities into successful companies. He has also been a major Republican donor for a number of years. Recently, he has been a fierce critic of Mitch McConnell and launched his campaign in an effort to highlight the fact that he is the only candidate, who doesn’t have any McConnell ties. He is making the case that Kentucky needs a hard break with the past and he is the candidate to achieve that objective. He has also received support from several big names in the Senate, such as Bernie Moreno (R-OH) and Jim Banks (R-IN). Keep in mind, Banks and Moreno are two of the better Senators in the Republican caucus right now, so that’s a very positive sign. Furthermore, Morris is also close with fellow Kentuckian Rand Paul, Donald Trump Jr., and even Vice President J.D. Vance. In fact, it was reported that Vance personally urged Morris to run. These are all very positive developments, but there is some slight skepticism regarding some of his past political ties, most notably to George W. Bush and Nikki Haley. He is a longtime Republican after all, so perhaps this can be explained away as just being an “innocent team player,” but given that he’s a political fresh face, one wonders his true intentions. At least he’s saying all the right things, while other candidates can’t even bother going through the motions.
Scott Jennings: C-
CNN Commentator and Republican political strategist Scott Jennings is the potential final piece to this puzzle, as he is the only major name on this list to not have declared his candidacy. Jennings has been a stalwart in Kentucky Republican politics, having served on the past campaigns of both George W. Bush and Mitch McConnell in the state. In recent years, he has attempted to publicly align himself with Donald Trump, as the zeitgeist of the GOP has clearly shifted in a more populist direction. Jennings has definitely gotten Trump’s attention too, as the two have campaigned together, while Trump has promoted Jennings on his Truth Social platform. While Jennings’ intentions remain a mystery, he has stated that he will run, as long as Donald Trump wants him to do so. Now, I for one harbor deep skepticism towards Scott Jennings. Frankly speaking, he’s fine on CNN and I think he should stay there. First of all, not only did he campaign for George W. Bush, he was a close advisor to the former President during his second term, which was when the bottom fell out for the Republican Party. He advised Mitch McConnell in the Senate, as well. Given his long history in neoconservative circles, does one honestly believe that he’s suddenly “reformed?” Secondly, he is known as being a staunch defender of Trump on CNN, but he’s the token Republican on the panel, so he’s obligated to do so. Keep in mind, this is also a recent development. Most of Jennings’ past comments regarding Trump either attempted to create distance between him and the Republican establishment, or flatly trashed him. Jennings will swear up and down how much of a “Trump guy” he now is, but is there reason to believe him? Also, I remain doubtful that he will end up running. He just signed a contract extension with CNN, which will give him a raise, so I doubt he will easily back out of the agreement. Furthermore, Nate Morris is now consolidating the anti-McConnell vote, so it will be difficult for him to enter now. In conclusion, there is only one man who can deliver a Senate seat to Scott Jennings and that’s Donald Trump. Whether he ends up following through remains to be seen.
Conclusion:
Mitch McConnell’s departure from the Senate is long overdue. His stranglehold of both Senate Republican and Kentucky Republican politics has endured for far too long. Keep in mind, he has been one of, if not the most unpopular and despised figure in all of American politics for decades, and yet he somehow managed to maintain his power and influence during that time. Thankfully, he is now a lame duck, so his ability to choose his successor is severely diminished. This is our best chance to make a clean break from McConnell and his toxic brand of corrupt, corporate neoconservatism. If I had to rank the candidates for this seat, the order would be:
Nate Morris
Scott Jennings
Daniel Cameron
Andy Barr
Given McConnell’s ties to Jennings, Cameron, and Barr, I cannot support them. In essence, Nate Morris gets my nod, for whatever it’s worth. Whether he’s perfect is irrelevant. Morris is the guy to finally throw McConnell’s legacy in the trash and has made the most compelling case to do so. As long as everything remains relatively stable, Morris should win the primary. Keep an eye on whether Donald Trump will make any moves to change the electoral landscape.
Thank you giving us a "report card" on these candidates.
It's good for all of the MAGA world to be aware!!
Nice analysis. Per your information it seems spot-on. Thanks.