Overview

• Nate Morris rolled out his campaign on Donald Trump Jr.’s podcast and premiered a “Garbage Day” ad casting himself as a MAGA outsider cleaning up McConnell’s legacy.
• Rep. Andy Barr and ex-Attorney General Daniel Cameron have seized on Morris’s prior ties to Mitch McConnell and his 2024 donation to Nikki Haley to challenge his conservative bona fides.
• All three Republican hopefuls are courting President Trump’s backing, which remains a decisive factor in the solidly red state’s primary next May.
• Morris is financing his run with personal wealth from Rubicon Industries and highlighting his blue-collar roots to boost name recognition against established rivals.
• The primary follows Mitch McConnell’s February retirement announcement and sets up a pivotal nomination battle, even as Democrat Pamela Stevenson faces steep odds in the general election.