LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The top three Republican candidates running to replace longtime U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell took the stage Monday night at the Henry Clay event center in downtown Louisville for the first Republican primary debate.
McConnell, a Republican who has represented Kentucky in the U.S. Senate since 1985, announced earlier this year that he won't seek reelection in 2026 after more than 40 years in office, creating the first open Senate seat in the state in years.
Rep. Andy Barr, former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron and businessman Nate Morris are facing off in the Republican primary, which is among this year's most competitive. The GOP hopefuls all support President Donald Trump, hoping to land his endorsement in a state that Trump overwhelmingly carried in the past three presidential elections.
The debate offered voters an opportunity to hear the candidates discuss their positions on key issues and outline their priorities as the Republican primary campaign ramps up.
The U.S. military conflict is now in its third week. Thirteen U.S. servicemembers have died in combat, including Kentuckians Tech Sgt. Ashley Pruitt and Sgt. Benjamin Pennington. The latest polling shows more Americans are against the U.S. military action than support it. President Donald Trump told Kentuckians last week we've won, yet the U.S. is still engaged in the conflict.
Congressman Barr, you voted against the war powers resolution that would have required Congressional approval for future military action in Iran. At what point should Congress have a say? And would you support American boots on the ground in Iran?
Barr: "The president has the legal authority as commander in chief to defend the country and Congress has the power to declare war, but Congress does not have the power to prevent the president from advancing our national security. I voted against this dangerous and reckless resolution because it would have sent a dangerous signal, it would have been a gift to our adversaries, but the bottom line is the objectives are being achieved."
Cameron: "Lets take a stock of where we were. Under Joe Biden and President (Barack) Obama, you had redlines and the disastrous evacuation from Afghanistan. President Trump is about decisive action on behalf of the American people to ensure our national security. I am grateful for President Trump and would support his efforts in Iran, and also lets look at what he did with (Venezuelan President Nicolás) Maduro, and taking out a narco-terrorist in Venezuela. This president is on the right track and I'm grateful for his leadership."
Morris: "I think it's really simple. I trust this president and I trust this president because of the results he's gotten for the American people. And I stand by him 100%. And he has been so surgical, so tactical in the way that he's gone after all these foreign governments and I think that we're gonna get great results for the American people and I stand by him 100% and we gotta have a senator that's willing to do that, vote with the president and have the president's back, especially on foreign policy."
Switching gears to immigration, President Trump recently fired Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. In Congress, Noem faced some criticism, including over the Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in Minneapolis that resulted in the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens.
Mr. Cameron, do you agree with the recent immigration enforcement? And where do you draw the line between aggressive enforcement and constitutional rights?
Cameron: "Look, folks in neighborhoods all across this commonwealth and this country want to be able to sleep soundly in their homes. Whether it's Tom Homan or President Trump or others of the administration, they have said specifically that we are looking for ways in which to deport violent criminals in this country so that you don't have what occurred with Laken Riley. That is important to me, and if I'm in the United States Senate I'm gonna stand firm with President Trump on that point. Again, whether it's CBP, ICE, let's fully fund them. And by the way, when it comes the census of the United States, let's not count illegals in that census. Let's make sure it's for the American citizen. And in addition to that, if you are a blue city, if I'm in the United States Senate, I am gonna be voting to ban you receiving federal funding because at the end of the day, you cannot use taxpayer dollars to flout the rules of the federal government. That is the type of leadership we need in the Senate and that is what I will focus on, along with President Trump and his 'America First' agenda.
Morris: "I've called for a full moratorium on any new immigration until we deport every single illegal that came into this country under Joe Biden. Folks, we were invaded. They've all gotta go back, 100%, and we shouldn't give a dime of your taxpayer money to any illegal.
Barr: "Look, I know that a tragedy is terrible. But where are the liberals when it comes to Laken Riley? That's a tragedy as well. There was a reason why there was a federal presence in Minneapolis, because illegal immigrants were ripping off the American taxpayer and these liberals were getting in the way and creating danger for everybody. I have tripled ICE funding and I've supported the toughest border security in history because we need to protect the American people first."
Groceries, health insurance premiums, utility bills — they're all on the rise, and gas prices are soaring since the start of the U.S. military conflict with Iran.
Mr. Morris, for a Kentucky family, what specifically and realistically are you going to do to make things more affordable?
Morris: "Folks, we gotta have people going to Washington that are outsiders, business people, people who are going to look through the lens of is this helping create jobs or not? And I think it's really clear. President Trump's demonstrated that over and over again. And I look at the great work that this president's done with our economy, we see the fantastic results of the tariffs, they've been great for Kentucky. Just last year we had a $2.5 billion investment from Apple because of this tariffs. These tariffs protect the American workers, they protect American wages, and they stop these foreign countries that have been ripping us off for far too long from taking advantage of our people. But folks, we've also got to cut the fat in Washington."
Barr: "I've been working with this president to promote affordability and lower the cost of living through tax cuts. Americans are gonna receive a huge refund this year. To regulatory relief, to lower the cost of business so they can pass that down to their workers. And, through energy dominance strategy. Supply, supply, supply, supply of capital, supply of housing, and I'm working with this administration right now on a regulatory change to roll back a Biden-era regulation to lower homeowner premiums."
Cameron: "Well Joe Biden's economic policy was a disaster for this country. I mean, part of the reason that President Trump won election is because of the economic uncertainty that was brought upon by Joe Biden. What we see now in the Big Beautiful Bill is coming to fruition for a lot of Americans. No tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security. That is moving us in the right direction when it comes to affordability and being able to put food on the table and put more money in your pocket, I support that wholeheartedly and the 'America First' agenda as well."
President Trump has said the country should "move on" from the Epstein files, but Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie and Sen. Rand Paul have pushed for wider disclosure, and Congressman James Comer is leading the House Oversight Committee's continuing investigation.
Mr. Cameron, do you agree with the president that it's time to move on, or do you agree with lawmakers from Kentucky that the investigation should continue?
Cameron: "Well look I actually think that this administration has been doing a good job of getting the information out to the people. Obviously there are redactions that were necessary related to those files and the Department of Justice has been undertaking that important work to ensure that the victims' identities are not published. That is really critical, so I appreciate what the Department of Justice has done on that front. When it comes to the Epstein files more broadly, transparency is good. We need to hold people accountable if they were harming women or doing things that were criminal conduct, that's simply the case that we need to address in not only the Epstein files, but perhaps with criminal charges as well. So I support the release of the Epstein files because of accountability, this is really important to the victims of these alleged crimes. I trust the administration to make sure that information gets out there, it certainly recognizes the importance of accountability on this front."
Morris: "President Trump was very clear from the beginning, he said we're gonna make all this stuff public and we're gonna let it come to light and it'll be judged and prosecuted accordingly and that's what's happened. So I stand by the president, he did exactly what he said he was gonna do related to this. And I think as Republicans, we all need to get behind the president. We got people in this delegation that are not voting with the president, not supporting him, this is a state Trump carried by over 30 points. We gotta have this president's back and continue to stand with his agenda."
Barr: "I was proud to vote for full transparency with the Epstein files and it's obviously a tragic and disgusting case and the victims deserve justice. In my prior time in the private sector before I was a member of Congress, I proudly served as the president of Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky. As a member of Congress I've supported, through grants and other support services, victims of domestic violence and child abuse and neglect and I will continue to do so in the United States Senate."
The seat you are running for is currently occupied by one of the most powerful figures in U.S. Senate history, Mitch McConnell. McConnell's legacy includes clearing the path for a conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court, and securing more than $60 billion for the state over the course of his career.
Mr. Morris, your campaign ad includes throwing a cardboard cutout of Sen. McConnell into a garbage truck. You've also called your opponents "McConnell's boys," although you interned for him. How can you outperform McConnell in terms of securing investments for our state?
Morris: "I stand by my contrast of Sen. McConnell 100%. You know, 20, 30 years ago he did some great things for the state. But let's all face it, for the last 10 years he's sold Kentucky out, he's voted continuously for amnesty, he's gotten us into situations we shouldn't be in, but most importantly he has stabbed this president in the back over and over and over again. The folks on this stage, the two guys standing next to me, they owe everything to Mitch. And one of the reasons why I got in this race I said look, if an outsider, if a business person, if I don't come in here we're gonna get a Mitch 2.0. And I believe it's very clear from the people of Kentucky they want a clean break from what we've had over the last 40 years. They don't want a Mitch 2.0, and I can be that."
Barr: "Well I don't owe anything to a United States senator but I do owe e to my Lord and savior, to my family, my parents, who taught me the values of hard work, perseverance, compassion and selfless service to others and to the people of the Sixth Congressional district, who would give me the privilege of a lifetime to fight for them, their families and their futures. And as the next U.S. Senator from Kentucky, I will fight for them."
Cameron: "When it comes to talking about who I'm gonna be more like it's not Sen. Paul, it's not Mitch McConnell, I'm gonna be Daniel Cameron. And what that means is standing up for your constitutional rights and the common sense values of the men, women and children of our 120 counties and I'm committed on day one to ensuring your interests are heard in Washington, as opposed to the special interests that always have the ear of other senators in Washington, D.C."
The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce has listed a workforce shortage as one of the biggest problems facing businesses. Many industries in Kentucky like horseracing, farming and manufacturing rely on immigrant labor and are concerned that shifting rules at the federal level cause them to lose workers.
Mr. Barr, what specific policies would you champion at the federal level to help fill jobs in Kentucky?
Barr: "I have worked routinely with the Kentucky Community Technical and College system. We need more trades, we need more electricians and plumbers, and we've worked with the homebuilders on encouraging more young people to go into these trades where they can become entrepreneurs. These are high-paying jobs now. But at the end of the day, border security is something I've prioritized with this president and am proud to have done so. Securing the border creates the conditions for streamlining legal immigration programs that are needed in some cases like for our agriculture industry, but only for legal immigrants and securing the border is not incompatible or mutually exclusive with the idea that we are a nation of immigrants. We are a nation of laws and we are a nation of immigrants, and they work together as long as people come here the right way. It dishonors legal immigrants to have people cut in line.
"I've got a record of securing the border, I have an eight-plus rating from the leading border security and immigration enforcement organization in the country, Numbers USA, I have a perfect A+ rating from them. I have also voted for streamlining our guest worker programs to make sure that the only people coming into this country are vetted, legal guest workers to help industries."
Cameron: "We need to generate more coal and natural gas to fuel these factories, that would produce jobs. And what we also need to focus on is the economic agenda of this White House."
Mr. Morris, your critics call you a "woke fake conservative trying to buy your way into the Senate." In 2019, your company Rubicon sent out a press release touting that you'd signed a pledge supporting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Also, your SuperPAC received a $10 million donation from Elon Musk.
Will big donors influence your decisions if elected? Why has your public stance on DEI changed?
Morris: "Well first and foremost let me say this, DEI is an absolute scam and should be eradicated from society, period, and business.
"How do I know that I'm going to represent the people? Look, I don't owe anybody anything. I'm standing here on my own two feet. I'm not standing here because Mitch McConnell is propping me up, or PACs are propping me up, or lobbyists are propping me up.
"I'm gonna make sure we get the woke out of business once and for all."
Cameron: "When protesters were on my front lawn threatening to burn my house down, those same BLM protesters he was actually embracing in an open letter to the public. So there is a striking difference between myself and Congressman Barr and Nate Morris."
Congressman Barr, you are running a campaign ad in which you say "It's not a sin to be white," regarding DEI policy. Well-known Kentucky political commentator Al Cross said you are running the "most overtly racist statewide campaign we can remember in Kentucky."
What specifically are you trying to say to Kentuckians of all backgrounds, including communities of color?
Barr: "I do believe that DEI is dumb, evil indoctrination because I think it's wrong for an elementary school child to go to school and come home and ask and be forced to ask his or her parents 'is it wrong for me to have the color of my skin?' That's what DEI does. Indoctrinating our kids with this propaganda."
Cameron: "We want to see a society that is based on merit and opportunity and not diversity, equity and inclusion. ... It's important to us that we ensure that they know, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are image bearers of Jesus Christ. And that is our focus. We shouldn't be focused, as Congressman Barr mentioned, on folks of color but the content of their character."
Morris: "Folks that's why we gotta have outsiders. We gotta have business people to be able to fight this nonsense once and for all. Not career politicians who are speaking out of both sides of their mouths."
Mr. Cameron, in 2023 you lost the governor's race to Andy Beshear by five points, even with the backing of President Trump. You carried many rural counties, but lost the state's largest population centers.
What went wrong in that campaign? Specifically, what are you doing differently this time to win voters and why hasn't President Trump endorsed you or any of your opponents?
Cameron: "I think President Trump wants to see a candidate earn this nomination. And whether it's by polling or by getting out to as many places as we possibly can across this commonwealth, I'm certain that I'm going to be the nominee by May 19. I feel it instinctively when I talk to people all across Kentucky.
"When it comes to the governor's race ... we felt very confident that we were going to win. Unfortunately, we had low turnout on that day, and what I took from that race is that you got to meet people where they are, that you got to build coalitions to get folks to the polls. That's why I'm so proud of the grassroots efforts that we've undertaken."
Morris: "I think the riskiest thing that we can do as a party is nominate a career politician. You know, we've seen that with the last governor's race and I think the electorate's very clear. They want outsiders. They want business people. They want people that have created actual jobs, and they want people in the mold of President Trump."
Barr: "The reality is I have fought DEI in the Pentagon every step of the way, and you can look at my record. I voted for amendment after amendment after amendment. Did I vote to fund our troops? Yes I did, because our negotiators did a good job. But look, there's a reason why President Trump calls me a warrior, and I've been with him all the way because I've won. I'm a proven winner in the only swing district in Kentucky."
Kentucky's primaries will be held May 19, followed by the general election Nov. 3. You can watch the debate in full in the video player above or by clicking here.
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