Daniel Cameron announces bid for Mitch McConnell’s seat: ‘Let’s do this’

KENTUCKY (FOX 56) — Prospective senators are wasting no time declaring their intent to run following Sen. Mitch McConnell’s announcement that he will not seek reelection.

McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history, chose his 83rd birthday on Thursday to announce his upcoming retirement.

“Seven times, my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate,” McConnell said to the AP. “Every day in between, I’ve been humbled by the trust they’ve placed in me to do their business here. Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime. I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last.”

Following McConnell’s announcement, former Kentucky Attorney General and gubernatorial nominee Daniel Cameron announced he’d enter the race for McConnell’s seat.

“Kentucky, it’s time for a new generation of leadership in the U.S. Senate. Let’s do this,” Cameron wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Cameron went head-to-head with incumbent Gov. Andy Beshear in 2023. Following the election, he wrote that it was an honor to represent the Republican Party.

“Makenze and I want to express our gratitude to all those who supported this campaign. It has been the honor of a lifetime to be the standard bearer for the Republican Party,” Cameron’s campaign website reads. “At the end of the day, what ultimately matters is that we know Christ is still on the throne. May God Bless the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Our future is bright!”