The Republican primary for the seat being vacated by the retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell revolves around a single factor – who does daddy love best?
The three principal contenders – Rep. Andy Barr, R-Lexington, former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron ,and Lexington garbage magnate Nate Morris – are in near agreement on the issues save for one – which candidate has done the most to debase himself and gain the affirmation of President-cum-Dictator Donald J. Trump?
This is a single-issue race, folks. And that single issue is who can demonstrate the most fealty to the Clown Prince of Mar-a-Lago.
Trump has yet to weigh in on the campaign and he may find it difficult to choose from among three subjects so willing to prostrate themselves before his majesty. Real discussions on subjects like, say, affordability have taken a back seat to who best responds to his master’s voice.
There isn’t a difference big enough to slip an index card between them on the issues, although they dispatch zingers back and forth about who provides the greatest zeal for Trump’s America First agenda. Diversity, equity and inclusion programs to provide a leg up for society’s marginalized folks? A damnable initiative. Sky-high tariffs upsetting the world’s economic order? What a brilliant idea. An exceedingly cruel anti-immigrant campaign resulting in violent deaths? Let’s get tougher.
Instead, when it comes to fulfilling the desires of the sociopath in the White House and thus gaining his affection, a mad scramble ensues. Barr, Cameron, and Morris have relinquished all independent thought in the hopes of gaining Trump’s grace, resulting, with any luck, in a pat on the head, a rub behind the ears and a “good boy!’’ from the Great Man himself.
The focus on pleasuring Donald J. Trump has rendered this one of the oddest campaigns in recent memory for a variety of reasons. For one thing, on the national stage at least, aligning with Donald J. Trump at this point guarantees anything but success. The RealClearPolitics polling average shows Trump with the approval of 42.7 percent of those questioned and disapproval of 55.6 percent. A recent CNN poll had his disapproval at 61 percent.
Tying yourself to a star with those numbers might not seem like the politically savvy thing to do. But this is Kentucky where Republicans now maintain a voter registration advantage after decades of Democratic dominance. The GOP holds every statewide elected office save the governorship, every slot in Washington save for the congressional seat from Louisville and maintains overwhelming dominance in the statehouse. The feeling is, despite the nationwide revulsion, Trump maintains substantial reverence in the Bluegrass State even though his actions have proven detrimental to the Commonwealth’s well-being (see Straub, B. Northern Kentucky Tribune, Jan. 16, 2026: Opinion – Bill Straub: Kentucky has invested a lot in president/dictator Trump; doesn’t seem to be paying off – NKyTribune).
So, assuming Trump remains beloved in Kentucky – he drew 64.6 percent of the vote in November 2024 and, one can assume, internal campaign polls show him maintaining at least a modicum of popularity – attaching oneself like a barnacle to the old boy’s bloated frame makes sense, particularly in a race where there exist no significant differences.
That doesn’t mean they’re not looking to attract different constituencies within the GOP electorate. Based on his most recent disgusting and racist television ad, Barr, who has proved the most aggressive in attaching himself to Trump (to an obnoxious degree, it should be noted) is seeking to nail down as much of the White vote as humanly possible. That makes sense when you consider, and no offense intended, the name Garland Hale Barr IV might just be the Whitest appellation in all America.
Besides, Blacks make up only 6.8 percent of Kentucky’s registered voters. And this is a Republican primary. If Daniel Cameron were to suddenly move from the Commonwealth the percentage of Black registered Republicans might fall below zero.
Cameron, who has emphasized he is not running as a Black candidate, has received Trump’s endorsement in two previous elections – including in his unsuccessful run for governor, losing to the Democrat, Gov. Andy Barr, in 2023. He recently made it clear on WLEX-TV in Lexington that he “certainly would be honored to have the president endorse me again,’’ although he is considered least likely to garner the president-cum-dictator’s backing since he registered a loss despite that endorsement. Trump hates losers.
While Barr is hitting up the White folks, Cameron might be taking what can be viewed as a Christian Nationalist route, leading my old pal Al Cross, as he wrote on these pages a few weeks back that Cameron is “the most overtly religious approach of any major candidate ever for statewide office in Kentucky.’’
Morris, who has never run for public office before, is campaigning, of course, as the outsider, anti-establishment candidate, which is certainly attractive to some Kentucky Republicans, consider Sen. Rand Paul, R-Bowling Green. He is aided by former Trump BFF Elon Musk, one of the richest, if not THE richest man in the world, who appears to be willing to pour millions of dollars into the Morris coffers. What makes it interesting is Morris’s friends – he’s palsy-walsy with Vice President JD Vance and has a relationship with Donald Trump Jr., a situation that likely gives Cameron and, particularly Andy Barr, the willies. Morris also was endorsed by Charlie Kirk, the influential GOP political operative who was gunned down at a rally late last year.
The candidates’ Trump obsession has taken some interesting turns. Trump has made it known he detests Rep. Thomas Massie, R-SomewhereorotherLewisCounty, a true maverick who has, at times, made life miserable for the boy even though he supports most of the administration initiatives. The loathing reached the point where a PAC aligned with Trump has run some television ads bad-mouthing Massie and he has convinced an opponent, Ed Gallrein, of Shelby County, to run against him in the primary, carrying the full force of the president of the United States.
Now it’s rare for a fellow congressman to oppose an incumbent from the same party and the same state who is running for re-election. That didn’t stop Barr from endorsing Gallrein over Massie, explaining that Daddy Trump needs all the help he can get and Massie wasn’t serving on bended knee.
Now, Barr and Massie are both Republicans and have served together in districts that abut. That didn’t stop him from throwing Massie overboard to gain additional favor from the Trumpster, which probably tells you all you need to know about Andy Barr.
I am unaware, in recent Kentucky history, of a GOP congressman from Kentucky opposing the re-election of another Kentucky GOP congressman. If someone can learn me, as the saying goes, I’d appreciate it.
At any rate it didn’t end there. Fearing Barr grabbing an advantage, Morris also endorsed Gallrein, which, of course, to repeat probably tells you all you need to know about Nate Morris.
Then there’s McConnell, who literally built the Kentucky Republican Party into the powerhouse it is today. The party’s Frankfort headquarters is named for him, the longest-serving senator in state history, responsible for bringing billions of dollars’ worth of projects to the state.
And Trump, for whatever reason, hates him. And has made his feelings widely known. So it wouldn’t be long before someone opted to take advantage of that. In this case it was Morris, who once served as an intern for McConnell.
All three candidates carry political connections to McConnell, particularly Cameron, who served as a protégé. Morris has fiercely ripped the man he once supported, overthrowing him in favor of Trump’s America First agenda.
Cameron, who served as an intern and general counsel to McConnell and was catapulted into attorney general position with the lawmaker’s help has followed up by distancing himself from McConnell for interfering with Trump’s agenda.
“What we saw from Mitch McConnell in voting against Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard and RFK was just flat out wrong,’’ Cameron said last year, referring to the defense secretary, the head of the CIA and the health and human services secretary. “You should expect a senator from Kentucky to vote for those nominees to advance the America First agenda.”
That apparently ended Cameron’s relationship with McConnell. Now, Cameron told the Lexington Herald-Leader, he has no dealings with McConnell and that the veteran lawmaker’s organization is backing Barr, a claim McConnell denies.
Barr has remained mum about McConnell but he hasn’t exactly run to his defense, either.
Recent polls indicate Barr has overtaken Cameron’s early lead and holds an advantage of about two points, but most Republican voters remain undecided. Morris runs third, about 10 points behind Barr, but he is showing at least some modest movement with three months to go.
The Democrats are likewise running several contenders. Be patient, there’s always another day.