2026 United States Senate election in Kentucky

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. This decision follows his earlier announcement to retire as Senate Republican Leader after the 2024 Senate elections.

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. However, Democrats control the governorship and lieutenant-governorship which flipped from Republican control in 2019.

McConnell was first elected in 1984 and was re-elected in six subsequent elections.

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

Daniel Cameron, former Kentucky Attorney General (2020–2024) and nominee for governor in 2023

Publicly expressed interest

Andy Barr, U.S. representative from Kentucky’s 6th congressional district (2013–present)
Nate Morris, business conglomerate owner

Potential

Kelly Craft, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (2019–2021) and candidate for governor in 2023
Scott Jennings, political strategist
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
Robert Stivers, president of the Kentucky Senate (2013–present) from the 25th district (1997–present)

Declined

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

Polling

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

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
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