Barr wins McConnell’s open Senate seat in Kentucky

Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) is projected to win Kentucky’s open Senate seat and succeed retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R), according to preliminary results from Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ).

Barr defeated former Kentucky state Rep. Charles Booker (D) in what DDHQ, The Hill’s election partner, deemed would be a safe win for the Republican lawmaker. The Cook Political Report categorized the Senate race as a being solidly in favor of the GOP.

Barr led Booker by 3.9 percentage points with 38 percent of the vote reported by DDHQ as of 8:26 p.m. EST on Tuesday.

Barr received a wave of endorsements from Kentucky and national Republicans, including from President Trump and GOP leadership in the House and Senate.

The president had asked business owner Nate Morris, another Senate hopeful, to “step aside” from the GOP primary and join his administration as a U.S. ambassador, which he accepted, clearing the way for Barr to be the nominee.

The president endorsed Barr on Truth Social in May, writing that the lawmaker “is a Strong Supporter of TERMINATING THE FILIBUSTER, before the Democrats do it (which they will, on Day One, if they get control of the U.S. Senate!).”

Barr was first elected to Congress in 2012, becoming a vocal opponent against former President Obama. He previously worked on Capitol Hill as an intern for McConnell and then later as a legislative assistant to former Rep. Jim Talent (R-Mo.).

McConnell was already expecting to retire at the end of his term, having announced that he would step down from Republican leadership in February 2024. But a fall at his Washington townhouse in June and subsequent hospitalization led to weeks of speculation about his health.

The lawmaker’s months-long absence prompted Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) to request proof of life and fueled speculation online, including after the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

The influential Kentucky Republican released statements and photos showing proof of life, ultimately returning to Capitol Hill in September.