Kentucky Republicans vying to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have turned the state's May 19 primary into a high-stakes argument over what his four decades of power should mean to a party increasingly shaped by President Donald Trump.
McConnell, 83, announced last year that he would not seek reelection, ending a career that began with his first Senate victory in 1984, opting to leave office at the end of his term in January 2027.
This decision prompted a fight between several candidates for the Republican nomination to fill his seat, many of whom have attacked the outgoing senator's record and decades-long career in Congress.
One contender kicked off his campaign with an advertisement showing a cardboard cutout of McConnell tossed into a trash can, and allies of a rival quickly responded with spots highlighting that the same candidate previously donated to McConnell.
The exchanges reflect how sharply parts of the GOP base have soured on McConnell, who has also faced renewed attention on his advanced age and health after being hospitalized Feb. 2 for what his office described as "flu-like symptoms" before being discharged and told to work from home as he recovered.
Former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, once widely seen as part of McConnell's political orbit, is now working to draw a careful contrast to his former mentor.
"I'm my own man," Cameron said in an interview with The Washington Post, adding later that McConnell's donors would rather back one of his rivals.
"Daniel Cameron relied heavily on his connections to McConnell-world in his previous races for fundraising, and that's simply not an avenue that's available to him for this race, and it shows in his fundraising reports," Tres Watson, a GOP strategist based in Kentucky, told the newspaper.
Businessman Nate Morris has built his campaign around open opposition to McConnell, arguing Kentucky Republicans should align more aggressively with the populist energy that has surged through the party since President Donald Trump's first term.
"This is a fight for the future of the Republican Party … Donald Trump's Republican Party," Morris said.
"And certainly, if you're with Mitch McConnell, you're not part of that future," he added.
Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., is the third major candidate in the primary, and the winner is widely expected to be favored in November in a state where Republicans dominate statewide federal elections.
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time during Kentucky's May 19 primary, with voters in line by closing time allowed to cast ballots, according to the Kentucky secretary of state's 2026 election guide.
McConnell's imprint on national conservative politics is difficult to separate from the contest, including his role in confirming Supreme Court nominees that helped cement a 6-3 conservative majority during Trump's first term.
The backlash from Trump-aligned voters has shown up in polling such as a December Economist/YouGov poll that found 21% of Republicans nationwide viewed McConnell favorably, compared with 55% who viewed him unfavorably.
McConnell allies counter that his influence translated into leverage for Kentucky over decades, even as candidates calculate how much distance they need from one of the state's most powerful political figures.
"As Kentucky's longest-serving senator and the nation's longest-serving Senate leader, Senator McConnell's job stayed the same: ensuring Kentucky always punched above its weight," said Terry Carmack, his chief of staff, in a statement.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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