Daniel Cameron seeks McConnell’s Kentucky Senate seat in 2026 race

EXCLUSIVE: Former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron — once a protégé of Sen. Mitch McConnell — is now running to replace him, presenting himself as an unapologetic “America First” conservative, unafraid to disagree with his former boss.

Early in his career, Cameron served as legal counsel to McConnell, who is retiring next year after four decades in the U.S. Senate. His vacancy has sparked a competitive Republican primary as leading candidates claim to be the “America First” option for Kentucky voters.

“Regarding Senator McConnell, I think it’s important for people to know where you have disagreements on policy issues,” Cameron told Fox News Digital, explaining that he disagreed with McConnell’s vote against President Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks, namely Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Secretary at Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Cameron’s disagreement with the former Senate majority leader is explained by the Republican Party’s total embrace of Trump, who helped the party achieve victories in the 2024 elections.

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Former Kentucky Attorney General and U.S. Senate candidate Daniel Cameron delivers a speech Saturday, August 2, 2025, in Fancy Farm, Kentucky. (Ryan C. Hermens/Lexington Herald-Leader/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

“I thought he was wrong in his vote and that I would have voted differently from him,” Cameron said. “I think that’s an important thing to say, especially since you’re running for office, and the people of Kentucky, where the seat is, need to know that, and so where there are differences, I’ll certainly note that.”

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McConnell’s retirement from the U.S. Senate after more than 40 years creates an opportunity for Kentuckians to elect a candidate who is more conservative and loyal to Trump. Those vying for the party nomination claim to be the “America First” candidate in the race.

“I have always stood with President Trump,” Cameron said. “When he was out of office, I opposed Joe Biden’s disastrous border policies, which attempted to undo much of the good work started by President Trump.”

Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., smiles during a House Financial Services Committee hearing in Washington, DC, Wednesday, November 20, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

During his tenure as attorney general and CEO of 1792 Exchange, where he worked to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in corporate America, Cameron said he proved he would stand firm on the “America First” agenda.

But when Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., spoke to Fox News Digital about running for McConnell’s vacant seat, the longtime congressman claimed he was the only candidate with the “America First” record.

Barr described himself as a “pro-Trump Republican U.S. Congressman,” who values ​​limited government, free enterprise and a strong national defense. Barr told Fox News Digital that he is the only candidate in the race with experience implementing Trump’s agenda.

Yet Republican businessman Nate Morris, who is also running for Kentucky’s open Senate seat, was the last Senate candidate supported by conservative influencer Charlie Kirk before his assassination.

“Daniel Cameron and Andy Barr are wholly owned subsidiaries of the McConnell Machine,” Conor McGuinness, Morris’ campaign spokesman, said in a statement.

“The last thing Kentucky needs is another RINO career politician,” Morris’ campaign spokesperson added, arguing that Morris is “the America First warrior that Kentuckians can trust to fight the establishment and the only candidate Donald Trump can trust in the U.S. Senate to implement his America First agenda.”

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., walks through the Senate subway ahead of a vote on the ninth day of a partial federal government shutdown at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Oct. 9, 2025. (Kent Nishimura/Reuters)

At the same time, Cameron said he entered the U.S. Senate race for his children because he wanted to ensure that future generations have the opportunity to “live up to the ideals of our founding, that this is a nation built on merit and opportunity.”

“I have a history of standing strong for the America First agenda because it is a program that works for the men, women and children of Kentucky,” Cameron said. “And I think President Trump knows that I will walk alongside him to ensure that the provisions of the ‘big, beautiful bill’ are upheld, that we secure this border, that we codify some of the things that he did in his executive capacity.”

Cameron was the Republican nominee for governor of Kentucky in 2023, losing to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, widely seen as a potential 2028 presidential contender.

When reached for comment, a Barr campaign spokesperson, Alex Bellizzi, told Fox News Digital that “Daniel Cameron is poised to lose another statewide race” and has “already shown he can’t win a statewide race – even with the support of President Trump.”

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Cameron was the first Black American elected to a statewide office in Kentucky history and the first Republican to serve as attorney general since 1948, according to on his campaign website.