Kentucky: And The Winner Is

In the 119th Congress, McConnell sponsored 4 verified bills including S.500, the CAREER Act of 2025; S.698, the Federal Prisons Accountability Act of 2025; S.930, a bill to exclude from gross income capital gains from the sale of certain farmland property reinvested in individual retirement plans; and S.4530, a bill to raise the retirement age for Capitol Police members.

McConnell's committee assignments in the 119th Congress, included the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, where he chaired the Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research; the Committee on Appropriations, where he chaired the Subcommittee on Department of Defense; and the Committee on Rules and Administration, where he served as chairman. He also served as chairman of the Joint Committee on Printing and vice chairman of the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library.

The Money and Outside Spending

Barr raised $12.54 million in total receipts and disbursed $14.68 million, finishing with $1.55 million cash on hand, as of October 14. Booker raised $1.94 million in total receipts and disbursed $1.63 million, finishing with $303,599 cash on hand, as of October 14. Barr's receipts exceeded Booker's by more than six to one, though Barr's disbursements outpaced his receipts while Booker's did not, a reversal that points in different directions on the two measures.

Outside spending in the race ran heavily on the Republican side. Republican-aligned outside groups spent $19.08 million supporting Republican candidates and $19.69 million opposing them, while Democratic-aligned groups spent $196,292 supporting Democratic candidates and nothing opposing them, according to the race record as of November 4.

The two largest outside spenders were Fight for Kentucky, with $13.43 million in total spending, and Keep America Great PAC, Inc., with $13.09 million; each group reported both support and opposition spending. Outside spending directly linked to Barr totaled $15.36 million, with $7.04 million in support and $8.32 million in opposition; Booker drew $31,397 in outside support and no outside opposition spending, as of November 4.

Barr drew 139 endorsements tracked in the race, compared to 13 for Booker, out of 172 total endorsements recorded as of November 4, according to the race record.

Campaign Attacks

The sharpest exchanges on the record came from the candidates' October 19 debate. According to the Lexington Herald-Leader's debate report, Barr characterized Booker as a socialist who favored policies including Medicare for All, public campaign financing, and universal basic income; Booker accused Barr of being beholden to wealthy and corporate donors, calling him "bought and sold." According to the Kentucky Lantern's report on the debate, Booker also blamed Barr for rising grocery and gas prices, saying they were rising "under Andy Barr's watch." A Booker campaign ad released October 28, according to a Booker campaign press release, accused Barr of taking Wall Street campaign money and backing tariffs, the Iran war, and data centers that, the ad claimed, raise prices while enriching Wall Street.

Pre-Election Indicators

Barr won the Republican primary with 60.5 percent of the vote, defeating Daniel Cameron, who received 30.8 percent. Booker won the Democratic primary with 46.8 percent, defeating Amy McGrath, who received 35.9 percent.

Sabato's Crystal Ball and Inside Elections rated the race Solid Republicanas of November 3, 2026.

What's Next

The general election result remains unofficial pending certification.

Access the Legis1 platform for comprehensive political news, data, and insights.

Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article