Andy Barr to launch Senate bid to succeed Mitch McConnell

Rep. Andy Barr plans to denote adjacent week that helium is moving for the U.S. Senate spot being vacated by erstwhile GOP person Mitch McConnell, according to 2 radical acquainted with his plans and granted anonymity to sermon them.

One of those people, a Republican successful Kentucky, provided an invitation to a "special run announcement" connected Tuesday evening successful Richmond.

Barr, a elder subordinate of the House Financial Services Committee, had been considering a tally to win McConnell since adjacent earlier McConnell officially announced successful February that helium would not question reelection adjacent year.

The Lexington Herald-Leader archetypal reported Barr’s plans.

First elected successful 2012 to a Lexington-based seat, Barr volition participate a contested superior to win the longest-serving Senate enactment person successful U.S. history. Former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who announced his run successful February, had been viewed by galore arsenic the heir evident to McConnell, earlier a failed bid for politician dented his reputation.

Barr, too, is already facing immoderate challenges successful the state. The anti-tax radical Club for Growthreleased a TV advertisement successful February attacking Barr for his ballot to rise the indebtedness ceiling and casting him arsenic moving connected behalf of “woke Wall Street” banks.

Barr won a challenging run against erstwhile Marine Corps aviator Amy McGrath successful 2018, solidifying his power implicit his cardinal Kentucky seat. A Senate tally volition people his archetypal statewide campaign, investigating whether his entreaty stretches to immoderate of the much blimpish areas successful the eastbound and occidental parts of the state.

Barrraised $1.8 cardinal successful the archetypal 3 months of the year, according to fiscal disclosures filed this week, and ended the 4th with $5.3 cardinal successful the bank. Cameron raised $508,000.

Barr’s run did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.