In an ever-growing field of candidates, a familiar name to Kentuckians has joined the race for the U.S. Senate seat that will be left vacant in 2026.
Amy McGrath, who has run against U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell in the past, joins the list of political candidates looking to fill the seat he will leave vacant, as he will not be seeking re-election in 2026.
A former Marine, McGrath flew 89 combat missions against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, becoming the first woman in the Marine Corps to fly a combat mission in an F/A-18. She has previously run races for the U.S. House and Senate in Kentucky, including an unsuccessful race against McConnell in 2020.
McGrath says, “I swore an oath to defend this country against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Running for Senate is an extension of that oath. I’ll be a bulwark against authoritarianism and threats to our democracy. Even if we don’t see eye to eye on every issue, you’ll always know where I stand: on the side of Kentucky and democracy.”
McGrath joins a crowded ballot, which includes Democrats Pamela Stevenson, Nate Forsythe and Joel Willett—on the Republican side of the ticket is Representative Andy Barr, former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron and Nate Morris.