2026 United States Senate election in Kentucky

Not to be confused with 2026 Kentucky Senate election.

For related races, see 2026 United States Senate elections.

The 2026 United States Senate election in Kentucky will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Kentucky. Incumbent seven-term Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, who was first elected in 1984, and most recently re-elected with 57.8% of the vote in 2020, declined to run for re-election.^[1] This decision follows his earlier announcement to retire as Senate Republican Leader after the 2024 Senate elections.

2026 United States Senate election in Kentucky

← 2020 November 3, 2026 2032 →

Party Republican Democratic

Incumbent U.S. senator Mitch McConnell Republican

This will be the first open Senate election in Kentucky since 2010, and the first to this seat since 1972.

Background

Kentucky, a Southern state in the Bible Belt, is generally considered to be a Republican stronghold, having not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1992. Republicans control both U.S. Senate seats, all but two statewide offices, supermajorities in both houses of the Kentucky General Assembly, and all but one seat in Kentucky's U.S. House congressional delegation.^[2] However, Democrats control the governorship and lieutenant-governorship which flipped from Republican control in 2019.^[3]

McConnell was first elected in 1984, defeating then-incumbent Walter Dee Huddleston, and was re-elected in six subsequent elections.^[4]

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

• Andy Barr, U.S. representative from Kentucky's 6th congressional district (2013–present)^[5]
• Daniel Cameron, former Kentucky Attorney General (2019–2024) and nominee for governor in 2023^[6]
• Michael Faris, helicopter maintenance business owner^[7]
• Nate Morris, business conglomerate owner^[8]

Filed paperwork

• Wende Kennedy^[9]
• Andrew "Nick" Shelley^[10]

Publicly expressed interest

• Scott Jennings, political strategist^[11]

Potential

• Kelly Craft, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (2019–2021) and candidate for governor in 2023^[6]
• Ryan Quarles, president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (2024–present), former Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture (2016–2024), and candidate for governor in 2023^[12]
• Robert Stivers, president of the Kentucky Senate (2013–present) from the 25th district (1997–present)^[13]

Declined

• James Comer, U.S. Representative for Kentucky's 1st congressional district (2016–present) (running for re-election)^[14]
• Thomas Massie, U.S. Representative for Kentucky's 4th congressional district (2012–present)^[15] (running for re-election)^[16]
• Mitch McConnell, incumbent U.S. Senator (1985–present)^[17]
• David Osborne, speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives (2018–present) from the 59th district (2005–present)^[13]
• Damon Thayer, former state senator from the 17th district (2003–2025)^[18]

Endorsements

Andy Barr

U.S. representatives

• Hal Rogers, KY-05 (1981–present)^[5]
• Steve Scalise, House Majority Leader (2023–present) from LA-01 (2008–present)^[19]
• Elise Stefanik, NY-21 (2015–present)^[19]

State senators

• Amanda Mays Bledsoe, SD-12 (2023–present)^[20]
• Scott Madon, SD-29 (2025–present)^[20]
• Phillip Wheeler, SD-31 (2019–present)^[20]

State representatives

• Kim King, HD-55 (2011–present)^[20]

Individuals

• Riley Gaines, activist and former swimmer^[21]

Nate Morris

U.S. senators

• Jim Banks, Indiana (2025–present)^[22]
• Bernie Moreno, Ohio (2025–present)^[23]

State representatives

• John Hodgson, HD-36 (2022–present)^[24]

Individuals

• Charlie Kirk, CEO of Turning Point Action^[25]

Organizations

• Republicans for National Renewal^[26]

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of June 30, 2025
Candidate	Raised	Spent	Cash on hand
Andy Barr (R)	$3,269,336	$853,170	$6,109,243
Daniel Cameron (R)	$893,223	$361,190	$532,033
Mike Faris (R)	$3,926	$5,807	$0
Source: Federal Election Commission[27]

Polling

Hypothetical polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size[a]	Margin of error	Andy Barr	Daniel Cameron	Kelly Craft	Thomas Massie	Nate Morris	Other	Undecided
McLaughlin & Associates (R)[28][A]	April 13–15, 2025	500 (LV)	± 4.5%	18%	44%	–	–	2%	–	36%
co/efficient (R)[29]	February 25–26, 2025	1,134 (LV)	± 3.1%	18%	39%	–	–	3%	11%[b]	31%
co/efficient (R)[30]	December 2–3, 2024	1,298 (LV)	± 3.1%	12%	37%	6%	–	1%	8%	36%
				10%	32%	3%	16%	0%	–	39%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

• Pamela Stevenson, minority leader of the Kentucky House of Representatives (2025–present) from the 43rd district (2021–present) and nominee for Attorney General in 2023^[31]

Filed paperwork

• Jared Randall^[32][33]

Potential

• Rocky Adkins, senior advisor to governor Andy Beshear (2019–present), former minority leader of the Kentucky House of Representatives (2017–2019), and candidate for governor in 2019^[34]
• Amy McGrath, member of the U.S. Naval Academy Board of Visitors (2022–present), nominee for U.S. Senate in 2020, and nominee for Kentucky's 6th congressional district in 2018^[34]

Declined

• Andy Beshear, Governor of Kentucky (2019–present)^[35]
• Jacqueline Coleman, Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky (2019–present)^[36]

Fundraising

Campaign finance reports as of June 30, 2025
Candidate	Raised	Spent	Cash on hand
Pamela Stevenson (D)	$225,321	$176,656	$48,665
Source: Federal Election Commission[27]

Independents

Candidates

Filed paperwork

• Scott Duncan^[37]

General election

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
Inside Elections[38]	Solid R	February 20, 2025
The Cook Political Report[39]	Solid R	February 13, 2025
Sabato's Crystal Ball[40]	Safe R	March 12, 2025
Race To The WH[41]	Safe R	April 27, 2025

Notes

1. Key:
   A – all adults
   RV – registered voters
   LV – likely voters
   V – unclear
2. "Someone else" with 11%

Partisan clients

1. Poll commissioned by Cameron's campaign