(LEX 18) — Congressman Andy Barr officially filed his candidacy paperwork for the U.S. Senate race in Frankfort on Friday, telling supporters his campaign has momentum in the Republican primary.
Barr made his Senate run official with his signature on the required documents. He used the moment to position his campaign as the one with the most momentum among Republican candidates.
"We're the campaign moving in the right direction," Barr said.
While no public polling is available, both Barr's and Daniel Cameron's campaigns have released internal polling showing Cameron with a 17-point lead. Barr acknowledges he trails in areas where he's less known but believes that will change over time.
"We're the only campaign that is moving up in the polls right now. Every other campaign is either stagnant or moving down. That's the trajectory that the White House is paying attention to," Barr said. "They want a winner. They want the campaign where the numbers are moving up, not the campaign whose numbers are moving down."
The White House attention Barr references centers on President Donald Trump's potential endorsement. All three Republican candidates in the race - Barr, Cameron, and Nate Morris - are positioning themselves as Trump allies. The president has performed strongly in Kentucky, winning the state three times by significant margins.
Trump has previously endorsed both Barr and Cameron in separate races, making his choice in this head-to-head matchup particularly coveted for the competitive primary.
Barr expressed confidence about securing Trump's support, saying he's working toward that goal daily.
"I've had conversations with him and he's very enthusiastic about my candidacy," Barr said.
"One thing he doesn't want to do is endorse someone who is going to lose. And unlike one of my opponents - who with the president's endorsement lost - when I had the president's endorsement, I won. And that's why I expect to have the president's support in this primary," Barr added.
