Senate race · 2026

Kentucky Senate Race

This election will fill an open U.S. Senate seat as incumbent Republican Senator Mitch McConnell is retiring. Both Democratic and Republican parties have multiple candidates vying for their respective nominations.

All 2026 races

2 candidates · what each one campaigns on

Andy Barr

Republican

Currently: U.S. Representative

Andy Barr is a Republican U.S. Representative who is campaigning to replace the retiring Senator Mitch McConnell.

Campaign platform

Border Security
Barr prioritizes border security and favors securing the country's borders while streamlining legal immigration programs.
ImmigrationSource
Nation of Laws, Nation of Immigrants
Barr believes securing the border is not incompatible with the idea that the U.S. is a nation of immigrants and laws.
ImmigrationSource
McConnell Legacy
Barr has carefully calibrated his distance from Senator Mitch McConnell on the campaign trail.
DemocracySource

Campaign site Ballotpedia profile

Charles Booker

Democratic

Charles Booker is a former state representative who previously sought the U.S. Senate nomination in 2020 and 2022.

Campaign platform

Kentucky New Deal jobs plan
Proposes a broad infrastructure and economic development plan centered on Kentucky workers and communities.
EconomySource
Working People's Bill of Rights
Backs guaranteed worker protections including fair wages and union rights as the base of his economic policy.
EconomySource
Medicare for All
Supports a single-payer Medicare for All system and credits Medicaid expansion with improving rural Kentucky health outcomes.
Health CareSource

Campaign site Ballotpedia profile

Platform items are drawn from candidates’ own campaign materials and public reporting, summarised neutrally. They are what a candidate says they will do — not a judgement about whether they will do it. Once a candidate is serving in Congress, their record moves to the The Informed Ballot profiles.