SCOOP: Republican Daniel Cameron blasted by likely GOP opponent as McConnell successor fight begins

FIRST ON FOX: Just aft announcing his bid for erstwhile Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell's seat, Daniel Cameron is being slammed for his electability, oregon deficiency thereof, by a imaginable GOP opponent. 

"When President Trump and Andy Barr teamed up successful his 2018 election, they won Kentucky’s toughest Congressional contention against Amy McGrath and the Trump resistance," Tyler Staker, spokesperson for Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., told Fox News Digital successful an exclusive statement. 

"When President Trump endorsed Daniel Cameron for Governor, Daniel embarrassed the President and our enactment by losing successful a authorities that President Trump won by implicit 30 points—including losing Andy Barr’s territory by 19 points. We request proven winners, not folks who can’t triumph adjacent with the enactment of the top President we’ve ever seen," helium continued. 

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Brandon Moody, Cameron's Senate run strategist, told Fox News Digital successful a statement, "Daniel Cameron is up 30 points connected Andy Barr successful the latest statewide nationalist polling. So Andy is simply a small confused astir electability. Probably excessively overmuch vino past nighttime from his hundredth lobbyist meal of the month."

McConnell announced connected Thursday that helium would not beryllium seeking re-election erstwhile his spot is up successful 2026, opening up an accidental for caller candidates successful reddish Kentucky. 

"I’ve ne'er liked calling excessively overmuch attraction to today’s date, February 20th. But I figured my day would beryllium arsenic bully a time arsenic immoderate to stock with our colleagues a determination I made past twelvemonth astir however I’ll attack the 119th Congress," the longtime Republican person said connected the Senate floor. 

"My existent word successful the Senate volition beryllium my last," helium revealed. 

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Immediately pursuing the news, Cameron announced his run for the seat. He notably served arsenic Kentucky's lawyer wide earlier unsuccessfully moving for governor, losing to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. 

National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C., issued the pursuing connection connected the status news: "Senator Mitch McConnell dedicated his beingness to nationalist work and the authorities helium loves. Our state is grateful for his enactment and bequest of confirming blimpish judges and justices, and safeguarding the Republican Senate Majority. Kentucky is simply a reddish state, truthful the NRSC is assured that our eventual nominee volition beryllium a principled, America First blimpish who volition articulation our Majority’s combat for our nation’s Golden Era."

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Barr did not accidental whether helium would leap into the Senate contention connected Thursday, but helium did constitute connected X, "As I’ve said earlier this announcement, I americium considering moving for Senate due to the fact that Kentucky deserves a Senator who volition combat for President Trump and the America First Agenda. I’ve done that each time successful the House and would bash truthful successful the Senate. I’m encouraged by the outpouring of enactment and my household and I volition beryllium making a determination astir our aboriginal soon."

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., president of the House Oversight Committee, won't beryllium moving for McConnell's seat. Spokesperson Austin Hacker said successful a statement, "Congressman Comer volition not beryllium moving for Senate successful 2026 but is powerfully considering a tally for Governor successful 2027."

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Kentucky is powerfully favored for Republicans successful the 2026 Senate race, but Democrats are expected to enactment important wealth and effort into making it competitive. 

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) spokesperson David Bergstein said successful a statement, "Republicans were already facing a hard Senate representation and present different unfastened spot has created an further antiaircraft headache for them."