House Republican Enters Race For Mitch Mcconnell's Senate Seat, Setting Up High-stakes Gop Primary

FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., is officially entering nan title to switch longtime retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Barr, who has served successful nan House for complete a decade, is expected to footwear disconnected his run successful Richmond, Kentucky this evening.

He's besides releasing a video to motorboat nan run that paints him arsenic a staunch state of President Donald Trump and a fierce force of "woke" trends connected diversity, transgender inclusion, and U.S. power dominance.

"The United States is nan top state connected Earth, and it’s not moreover close. But here’s nan problem. The woke near wants to neuter America – literally," nan Kentucky Republican said successful nan video. 

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Rep. Andy Barr is moving for nan Senate spot being vacated by longtime Sen. Mitch McConnell. (AP/Getty)

"They dislike our values. They dislike our history. And goodness knows they dislike President Trump. But present successful Kentucky, that’s why we emotion him. I’m Andy Barr, and I’m moving for Senate to thief our President prevention this awesome country."

His candidacy sets up a high-profile superior race against erstwhile Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

In nan video, Barr promised to "deport forbidden aliens, alternatively of putting them up successful luxury hotels," and "get free of this anti-coal, do-gooder ESG garbage erstwhile and for all."

"Working pinch President Trump, I’ll conflict to create jobs for hardworking Kentuckians, alternatively of lukewarm and fuzzies for hardcore liberals," Barr said successful nan video. "And arsenic a dad, fto maine beryllium clear. I’ll conflict to fastener up nan sickos who let biologic men to stock locker rooms pinch our daughters."

His Senate run has besides been blessed by House GOP leaders, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and House Republican Leadership Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y.

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Barr and McConnell person very different relationships pinch President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

"There is nary bigger protagonist of President Donald J. Trump and our MAGA activity than my beloved friend Andy Barr," Scalise told Fox News Digital. "I americium all-in for Andy successful his run for nan US Senate — proud to support him."

Stefanik said, "I americium proud to telephone Andy a friend and I wholeheartedly endorse his run for US Senate. Kentucky needs a Senator who stands 100% pinch President Trump — that my friend, Andy Barr."

Barr said their support "is a beardown awesome to each Kentuckians that location is only 1 America First campaigner successful this title — and only 1 campaigner pinch a proven grounds of getting our America First schedule crossed nan decorativeness line."

The conservative lawmaker has been known arsenic a reliable activity state successful nan House and serves arsenic chair of nan House Financial Services Committee's subcommittee connected financial institutions.

He's besides a leader of respective groups successful nan House, including nan Congressional Taiwan Caucus, nan Congressional Bourbon Caucus, and nan American Worker Task Force.

McConnell is nan longest-serving legislator successful Kentucky history and nan longest-serving statement leader successful nan precocious chamber, only stepping down from starring nan Senate GOP convention astatine nan extremity of past year.

His last years successful agency person been marked by his rocky narration pinch Trump, who has called for an extremity to McConnell's governmental profession connected aggregate occasions.

Former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron is besides moving for nan Senate seat. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Trump and McConnell person besides surgery connected matters of overseas argumentation and defense. McConnell opposed 2 awesome Trump nominees successful nan nationalist information sphere, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth.

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McConnell besides opposed Trump's Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Barr and Cameron's campaigns are a stark departure from that – some person painted themselves arsenic staunch Trump allies.

And successful Kentucky, wherever Trump outran erstwhile Vice President Kamala Harris by astir 30%, nan president's endorsement will apt beryllium decisive.