Who is Andy Barr and what is Barr running on in the 2026 Kentucky Senate race?

Andy Barr is the Republican candidate for Kentucky U.S. Senate. U.S. Representative for Kentucky’s 6th district; Trump-endorsed GOP nominee who beat Daniel Cameron in the May 2026 primary. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

The race

• The seat: Open seat (Mitch McConnell retiring).
• Rating: Solid R (Cook, Sabato, Inside Elections per Wikipedia, 2026).
• Polling: Barr 49.8, Booker 39.2 (RaceToTheWH polling average through Aug 27, 2026).

Why Barr is ahead

• Kentucky is deeply Republican; Democrats have not won a Kentucky Senate seat since 1992.
• Barr carries Trump’s endorsement, which proved decisive in his 60.5% to 30.8% primary win over Daniel Cameron.
• Large money gap: Barr raised about $9.98M vs Booker’s $1.10M as of June 30, 2026.
• Polling average shows Barr up about 10 points.

What Barr is running on

• Trade/tariffs. Backs Trump’s tariffs, saying they will ultimately open markets to U.S. products.
• Immigration. Wants to restart border wall construction and reinstate the Remain in Mexico policy.
• Budget. Voted for a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution.
• Guns. Argues restricting assault weapons for under-21s is unconstitutional.
• China. Wants to require the President to sanction Chinese Communist Party military companies.
• War powers. Has said the President does not need Congress to engage in hostilities (Mar 2026).

The other candidates

• Charles Booker (D)

Every race

See every Senate and governor race on the ballot, with each candidate’s chance of winning: the 2026 midterms at a glance.