Overview
- Dale Romans announced his campaign Wednesday in Louisville to run for the U.S. Senate seat that Sen. Mitch McConnell will vacate at the end of his term.
- Branding himself an independent Democrat, Romans argues he will not be beholden to the national party and contrasts himself with GOP contenders courting President Donald Trump.
- Romans spotlights decades in horse racing and local roots, bringing more than 2,250 training victories and long ties to Churchill Downs to bolster name recognition.
- He lists immigration, trade, and health care as priorities, calling for secure borders and removal of criminal offenders while criticizing workplace raids, opposing "destructive" tariffs, and pledging to strengthen Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act.
- The 2026 race features multiple Democrats including Amy McGrath, Pamela Stevenson, Logan Forsythe, and Joel Willett, and Republicans such as Rep. Andy Barr, Daniel Cameron, and Nate Morris, with Kentucky's primary scheduled for May and Democrats seeking a breakthrough after not winning a Senate seat since 1992.