KY Republican businessman Nate Morris announces for U.S. Senate on Trump Jr.’s podcast
Republished from Kentucky Lantern
The Republican primary for Kentucky’s open U.S. Senate seat just got more crowded.
Nate Morris, a Lexington businessman who founded waste and recycling company Rubicon, announced his candidacy in a 20-minute interview on Donald Trump Jr.’s “Triggered” podcast Thursday evening.
“After careful reflection and prayer talking to my wife, Jane, I’ve decided to run for the United States Senate to replace Mitch McConnell here in Kentucky, and finally, bring this seat back to the people,” Morris said.
Morris joins a Republican field that already includes U.S. Rep. Andy Barr and former Attorney General Daniel Cameron. They announced their candidacies earlier this year after longtime U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell announced he would not seek reelection in 2026.
In his podcast appearance with Republican President Donald Trump’s son, Morris carved himself out as the total opposite of McConnell, who is also the longest serving U.S. Senate party leader.
“Well, everyone has an expiration, Don, they have an expiration date, just like the things you find at the grocery store or anywhere else, and Mitch McConnell has hung around way too long,” Morris told the president’s son. “And I think your father put it best: The stench of Mitch has been something that you cannot ignore.”
Morris added that McConnell is the “final boss” for the president to defeat. McConnell and the president have clashed in the past, but as the Senate Republican leader, McConnell paved the way for Trump’s federal judiciary appointments, including floor votes for three key Supreme Court appointments.
During the podcast, Morris tried to hitch his primary opponents to McConnell’s legacy. Cameron, who was often referred to as a McConnell protege during the 2023 governor’s race, “completely botched” that election, Morris said. As for Barr, Morris highlighted a recent TV interview in which he referred to McConnell as a mentor, and the podcast also aired that video clip.
Barr quickly released Thursday evening statements attacking Morris’ campaign, saying he did not support the president in the 2024 presidential primary.
“Nate Morris is pretending to be MAGA now, but he can’t run from all the liberal trash in his past,” Barr said. “Kentucky conservatives won’t fall for this fraud.”
Barr also tied himself to the president, pointing out that he was the state chair for Trump’s campaign in the 2024 primary.
“When I’m in the Senate, I’ll be President Trump’s biggest ally. Others in this race have opposed the President in the past and give lip service to supporting him now. I am the only candidate in this race who has a proven track record of actually delivering for President Trump and our America First movement.”
Cameron’s campaign pushed a website it launched, FakeNate.com, to criticize Morris’ record, particularly on the 2024 primary and his business record.
“Nate is an America First pretender trying to pull the wool over your eyes. Nate’s money might buy him likes on social media, but we’re not going to let him buy him an election,” the Cameron campaign said.
The three Republican candidates have been courting President Trump’s endorsement for months. Cameron had the president’s backing in the 2023 governor’s race before losing to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. Barr has repeatedly voiced support for Trump’s agenda. Morris himself has been included in a recent White House press release.
Trump Jr. said Morris has “a very similar sort of life story to JD Vance,” the vice president from Ohio who has ties to Appalachian Kentucky. Morris’ family is from Morgan County, he was raised by a single mother and he looked up to his grandfather, who was the head of the local auto union, according to his website. Morris said that he and Vance became “very fast friends” because of their backgrounds.
On the Democratic side, Kentucky House Minority Floor Leader Pamela Stevenson, of Louisville, has mounted a campaign to run for U.S. Senate. In 2023, she was the Democratic nominee for attorney general but lost to Republican Russell Coleman.
The primary election is next May. Candidates may formally file to run with the secretary of state’s office in November.
Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: [email protected]. Follow Kentucky Lantern on Facebook and Twitter. Kentucky Lantern stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Donate to Kentucky Lantern here.
