Andy Barr bests crowded Senate primary with help from Trump on way to replacing McConnell
In one of the most crowded Republican Senate primaries in the country, President Donald Trump's thumb on the scale proved the difference maker. Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., came out on...
By Fox News · Fox News
In one of the most crowded Republican Senate primaries in the country, President Donald Trump's thumb on the scale proved the difference maker. Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., came out on top of an 11-person bar fight in Kentucky, teeing him up for a showdown in November to replace retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., a one-time ally-turned-thorn in Trump's side. Though it’s a race overshadowed by another contest, where Trump is the driving factor in the state, it’s still significant, given that Barr and his Democratic opponent will be at the forefront of change in the political status quo of the Bluegrass state. HOUSE REPUBLICAN ENTERS RACE FOR MITCH MCCONNELL'S SENATE SEAT, SETTING UP HIGH-STAKES GOP PRIMARY Whoever comes out on top in November will replace McConnell, the longest-serving Republican leader in Senate history, who has been a political force and polarizing figure during his decades in the upper chamber. But like so many races during this and previous cycles in the Trump era, the president was the main factor on the Republican side. And Barr’s bid for the upper chamber after serving seven terms in the House was spurred by a late endorsement from Trump earlier this month. "We did have a lead before the endorsement," Barr said during a campaign event on Monday. "Our lead has skyrocketed since then in the polling that we're looking at, but we don't take anything for granted." TRUMP SAYS HE 'CAN'T STAND' SOME REPUBLICANS FOR REFUSING ONE KEY MOVE FOR HIS AGENDA It helped him topple his main opponent, former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who remained confident that even without Trump’s coveted endorsement, he could still win. "I think people are tired of the games that are played in Washington and want somebody that's looking out for their interests," Cameron told local news outlet WHAS11 before Election Day. Trump lauded Barr for his loyalty to him and added that he is the "only Candidate who will easily defeat the Democrat in what will be one of the…