U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell announced he would not seek re-election in what would have been his eighth term, creating a vacancy for the Kentucky Senate seat.
The candidate backed by President Donald Trump to replace Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) won quickly after polls closed in Kentucky on Tuesday evening. Despite only 7% of precincts reporting, Rep. Andy Barr (R) was declared the winner with an impressive 62.7% of the vote, compared to 28.7% for his closest competitor, former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
A campaign statement echoed President Trump’s endorsement: “Like President Trump said, Andy knows what it takes to get things done and deliver BIG for the America First agenda.”
The Senate seat will soon be vacated following McConnell’s decision in February to step down from re-election. The Republican primary contest had been heated until President Trump called on former candidate Nate Morris to drop out of the race in exchange for an ambassador position. Morris, who previously referred to both Barr and Cameron as “puppets” belonging to McConnell, went on to endorse Barr after withdrawing.
