By Ben Kamisar | NBC News
Sen. Mitch McConnell’s decision not to run for re-election in Kentucky next year opens up his Senate seat for the first time since 1984 — and it is already drawing interest from heavy hitters looking to fill the seat.
Former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who served as a McConnell aide before launching his own career in elected office, including a run for governor in 2023, announced his Senate candidacy less than an hour after the news about McConnell’s retirement broke.
And Republican Rep. Andy Barr reiterated his interest in the seat, writing that the state “deserves a Senator who will fight for President Trump and the America First Agenda” and teasing a decision “soon.”