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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) 鈥� Republican businessman Nate Morris entered Kentucky’s competitive campaign Thursday to succeed longtime Senate power broker Mitch McConnell, branding himself as a political outsider and loyal supporter of President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement.

Morris joins U.S. Rep. Andy Barr and ex-state Attorney General Daniel Cameron as GOP heavyweights vying for their party’s nomination next spring in the Republican-leaning Bluegrass State. He said his campaign would become a referendum on McConnell鈥檚 Senate record, and he tried to link his two Republican rivals to the longtime senator, though Morris has his own past ties to McConnell.

鈥淵ou have two McConnellites who owe everything to Mitch McConnell versus the outside business guy that鈥檚 running as the MAGA candidate,鈥� Morris said in a campaign release. 鈥淚 think that contrast is gonna be very, very striking to Kentuckians all over the state because they鈥檝e had enough of Mitch.鈥�

Morris joins the Senate race with far less name recognition than his main rivals but has his own advantage 鈥� he can tap into personal wealth he accumulated as a tech entrepreneur to unleash an advertising blitz to make himself more of a household name in the coming months.

He staked out a hard line on immigration in announcing his candidacy. He said he supports a moratorium on immigration into the United States until every immigrant currently in the country illegally is deported.

The GOP contenders are following the same playbook 鈥� lavishing praise on Trump in hopes of landing the president’s prized endorsement 鈥� seen as potentially decisive in determining who wins the primary.

Morris hopes to connect with Kentuckians by touting his family’s blue-collar roots, plus his staunch support for Trump in a state where Trump dominated the past three presidential elections.

Morris 鈥� a ninth-generation Kentuckian with family ties to Appalachia 鈥� was raised in a union household by a single mother and attended public schools, his campaign bio said. Many of his relatives worked at an auto plant, including his grandfather, who headed the local auto union, it said.

鈥淚 have been able to live the American dream because of how great this country is,鈥� Morris said.

Morris founded Rubicon, one of the country’s largest waste and recycling companies. Starting with a $10,000 line of credit, Morris served as CEO for more than 12 years, growing the company to nearly $700 million in annual revenue while creating hundreds of jobs, the bio said. The company later ran into financial difficulties, which could provide fodder for Morris’ rivals.

Barr’s campaign immediately went on the attack, questioning Morris’ authenticity by pointing to a campaign donation it says Morris gave to Nikki Haley, a Trump campaign rival in 2024. And Barr’s team claimed Morris championed diversity initiatives as a businessman, contrary to Trump鈥檚 policies.

鈥淣ate Morris is pretending to be MAGA now, but he can’t run from all the liberal trash in his past,鈥� Barr’s campaign said Thursday in a statement. 鈥淜entucky conservatives won’t fall for this fraud.鈥�

The wide-open race was set in motion when McConnell 鈥� the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history 鈥� announced in February, on his 83rd birthday, that he wouldn鈥檛 seek reelection in 2026 and will retire when his current term ends.

His departure will end an era in Bluegrass State politics. Through the decades, McConnell ensured that his home state received plenty of federal funding. Back home, he was a key architect in his party鈥檚 rise to power in a state once dominated by Democrats.

But McConnell has drawn criticism from fellow Republicans wanting to succeed him as they jockey for support from Trump and his supporters. Morris’ attacks on McConnell were by far the most caustic, blasting the senator earlier this year for opposing a handful of Trump’s nominations.

All three leading GOP contenders, however, have ties to the venerable Kentuckian. Cameron is a former McConnell aide and the senator helped launch Cameron’s political career. Barr has referred to the senator as a mentor and Morris worked as an intern in McConnell’s office.

The state鈥檚 two Democrats holding statewide office 鈥� Gov. Andy Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman 鈥� have both said they will not enter the Senate race. Beshear is seen as a potential presidential candidate in 2028, while Coleman is viewed by many as a looming candidate for governor in 2027.

A top legislative Democrat, state House Minority Floor Leader Pamela Stevenson, is seeking the Senate seat. Kentucky hasn鈥檛 elected a Democrat to the Senate since Wendell Ford in 1992.

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