Railing against the “woke left” and embracing President Donald Trump, Kentucky Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Barr confirmed his run for U.S. Senate by unveiling a video Tuesday. Barr’s announcement comes as no surprise after weeks of speculation following Sen. Mitch McConnell’s announcement in February that he would not seek reelection. McConnell has held the seat since 1984. In […]
Tag: Mitch McConnell
Posted inPolitics
Sen. Mitch McConnell won’t seek reelection in 2026
Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell is announcing on Thursday that he won’t seek reelection next year, ending a decadeslong tenure as a power broker who championed conservative causes but ultimately ceded ground to the fierce GOP populism of President Donald Trump. McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history, chose his 83rd birthday to share his decision not to […]
Posted inPolitics
Leaving KY Senate, Damon Thayer says he acted ‘based on what I thought was right’
Outgoing Republican Senate Floor Leader Damon Thayer said that when he moved to Kentucky more than three decades ago, he “never would have dreamt” he would be elected to the seat, nor serve as his party’s floor leader for 12 years. However, now is the right time to move forward with ot her pursuits, Thayer […]
Posted inPolitics
McConnell falls and sprains wrist after GOP luncheon, colleague says he is ‘fine’
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell fell and sprained his wrist while walking out of a GOP luncheon on Tuesday, the latest in a series of medical incidents for him in recent years. McConnell, who is stepping down from his leadership post at the end of the year, was walking out of his weekly party lunch with Wyoming Sen. John […]
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Country ham nets $10.5M for charity as Kelly, Joe Craft break own record at Farm Bureau breakfast
Two Republican megadonors once again were the highest bidders at Kentucky Farm Bureau’s Country Ham Breakfast charity auction. Kelly Craft, a former United Nations ambassador and 2023 Republican gubernatorial candidate, and her husband, coal executive Joe Craft, bid a record $10.5 million Thursday morning for the country ham that was crowned champion of the 2024 […]
Posted inPolitics
GOP bashes Beshear, Harris at Fancy Farm as crowd is energized by school funding amendment
The stage at this year’s Fancy Farm picnic in West Kentucky was dominated by Republicans who used their speaking time to tee off on an absent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, sprinkling in attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris, who has locked up the Democratic nomination for president. Only two Democrats, […]
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‘Not my favorite issue,’ age will be on voters’ minds as they pick a president, says McConnell
U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell told a group of Louisville business leaders that no matter who wins the 2024 presidential election, the country’s allies must “know that America is strong.” McConnell, Kentucky’s senior senator, spoke about domestic and international politics, including his thoughts on the U.S. election and his continued support for Ukraine against […]
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From U.S. senate vacancies to paid parental leave: Five bills to watch this week
A Kentucky bill that would eliminate the governor’s authority to fill U.S. senate vacancies – filed one week before U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell announced his impending retirement from Republican leadership – is one of five to watch in Frankfort this week. Other bills expected to come to a vote this week would create a new […]
Posted inHealth, News, Politics, Top 3
Sen. McConnell’s health episodes show no evidence of stroke or seizure disorder, Capitol doctor says
Written by Lisa Mascaro and Mary Clare Jalonick for the Associated Press Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell’s health episodes show “no evidence” of being a stroke or seizure disorder, the Capitol physician said in a letter on Tuesday, offering little further explanation for the apparent freeze-ups that have drawn concerns about the 81-year-old’s situation. McConnell’s […]
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McConnell’s doctor clears him to continue scheduled visits
Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell’s doctor, Brian Monahan, cleared McConnell to continue business as usual after the senator froze while speaking at the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday. This was the second incident in about a month. The first incident was on July 26 at a Washington press conference. “I have consulted with […]