A conservative political action committee with deep pockets is wading into Kentucky’s 2026 U.S. Senate race with a new ad attacking U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, a Republican believed to be considering a run.
Club for Growth Action, a super PAC focusing on economic issues and limited government, has released a 60-second television ad condemning Barr over a number of issues, including voting to raise the debt ceiling multiple times during his 12 years in office and accusing him of pushing the agenda of “woke Wall Street banks.”
Barr has not yet confirmed he plans to run for the seat held by U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell. McConnell, who has not announced whether he plans to run for an eighth term, turns 83 next week and has suffered a number of health scares in recent years. CBS News, which cited anonymous sources in a report about Barr’s plans, said the congressman would not challenge McConnell should he run for reelection.
A Club for Growth representative said the ad will run statewide Sunday during political shows on Fox News, NBC, ABC and CBS.
Tyler Staker, an Andy Barr for Congress spokesman, said in a statement the add is “false and misleading.”
“It’s no surprise that the same people who spent millions attacking and lying about President Trump (“Club for No Growth”) are now telling lies about one of his biggest supporters, Andy Barr,” Staker said. “No amount of lies from Swampy Special Interest groups will deter Andy Barr from fighting for President Trump’s America First Agenda and the people of Kentucky. “
The ad also claims Barr passed on “real world jobs for government jobs” and claims he landed his first big government position after “lying on his application.” Barr was charged with possession of a fake driver’s license at age 19 in 1993 while vacationing in Florida but checked “No” a decade later when asked while applying for a role in then-Gov. Ernie Fletcher’s administration if he had been convicted of any crimes other than “minor traffic violations.” Barr said at the time he considered the violation, with a sentence of eight hours of community service, to be minor.
Barr, 51, has represented Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District since 2013 and serves as chairman of the House Financial Institutions Subcommittee. The Lexington native is one of several Kentucky Republicans believed to be considering a run for McConnell’s seat, along with ex-Attorney General Daniel Cameron and Lexington businessman Nate Morris, who wrote an op-ed this week calling on McConnell to retire.
This isn’t the first time Club for Growth Action, which spent nearly $90 million during the 2023-24 election cycle, has gotten involved in Kentucky politics. The super PAC endorsed Cameron in the 2023 gubernatorial race when he was the Republican candidate running against Gov. Andy Beshear and spent more than $1 million on ads in the race.
One Club for Growth Action’s biggest donors is billionaire Jeff Yass, who gave $35 million to the PAC in 2023 and 2024, according to Federal Election Commission reports. Yass has also traditionally been the biggest donor of Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul’s PACs, contributing $5 million in 2021 to Kentucky Freedom PAC, which supported Paul’s reelection campaign.
In a statement to The Courier Journal, Club for Growth Action President David McIntosh said the group will oppose Barr’s candidacy if he makes a Senate bid. The group has not yet made a formal endorsement in the race.
“Despite promising to bring fiscal responsibility to Washington, Andy Barr has voted to increase federal spending by trillions,” McIntosh said. “Andy Barr would be a disaster in the Senate, and we will oppose his candidacy.”
No Republicans have publicly confirmed they plan to run for the seat. State Rep. Pamela Stevenson of Louisville is the only Democrat who has filed to raise money and confirmed plans to enter the race.
Reach The Courier Journal’s politics team at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Andy Barr attacked over potential run for Mitch McConnell Senate seat
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