Morris Gains Ground in Kentucky Senate Race
In the race to succeed retiring Senator Mitch McConnell in Kentucky, businessman Nate Morris is making significant strides, bolstered by a favorable public image, rising name recognition, and endorsements, including one from the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, as revealed by confidential polling data.
A survey conducted last month by Fabrizio Lee & Associates for the Morris campaign indicated that his support among likely Republican primary voters has jumped by 13 points since August.
If the primary were held today, the results would show 29% in favor of former U.S. Attorney General Daniel Cameron, 21% for Representative Andy Barr, and 18% for Morris, leaving 29% still undecided.
However, polling data from Trump’s top aides indicated a statistically tight race among those who have already formed opinions about the three candidates: 28% for Morris, 26% for Cameron, 25% for Barr, and 21% undecided. When informed of Kirk’s backing, Morris surged to 42%, while Cameron and Barr trailed at 22% and 16%, respectively, with 21% still undecided.
In August, 40% of potential Republican voters expressed support for Cameron, while Barr received 17% and Morris just 5%. Morris’s favorability rating has notably increased by 14 points, particularly among Trump’s loyal supporters.
This shift in public support might also explain why Elon Musk recently contributed $10 million to the pro-Morris super PAC, Fight for Kentucky.
Interestingly, all three candidates have previously worked with or for McConnell. A January survey revealed that only 22% of respondents held a favorable view of him, with 71% expressing the opposite.
In terms of fundraising, Barr’s campaign is leading with over $6.4 million, while Morris has more than $1.4 million in cash reserves and Cameron only about $630,000, according to recent Federal Election Commission filings.
Morris, who founded the waste and recycling company Rubicon—recently sold for $2 billion—has largely funded his campaign from his own resources and is expected to keep doing so as the May 19 primary approaches.
Although Trump hasn’t publicly endorsed anyone, both Barr and Morris, who have been in Congress since 2013, have highlighted support from allies of the former president. Barr is backed by Representative Elise Stefanik and former White House physician Ronnie Jackson, while Morris has endorsements from Senators Bernie Moreno and Jim Banks, among others.
Meanwhile, Cameron and Barr are pushing back against Morris, especially since he endorsed Nikki Haley over Trump for the upcoming presidential primary.
The polling conducted from January 27 to 29 involved 800 likely Republican voters in Kentucky, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Earlier data was gathered from a different poll of 600 likely Republican voters conducted from August 5 to 7.
