Kentucky Senate race 2026: Barr vs. Booker

RThe Ledger's profile

Andy Barr

Seven-term U.S. representative from Lexington and Financial Services subcommittee chairman; Republican nominee for Kentucky's open U.S. Senate seat in 2026.

Read the documented profile of Andy Barr

Also on the ballot

Charles Booker

American politician; member of the Kentucky House of Representatives for District 43 (2019–2020); 2022 and 2026 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate from Kentucky

The general-election field as the board records it: Andy Barr (R) vs. Charles Booker (D)

The race at a glance

Board data as of Sep 15, 2026. Ratings are the raters' own current calls; polls are the newest public ones with their field dates; money is what the committees reported. Nothing here is a forecast.

Seat

Open — McConnell retiring

Primary

May 19 (KY SOS certified): Barr 283,833 (60.5%), Cameron 144,592 (30.8%); Nate Morris withdrew May 1 and endorsed Barr; D Booker 155,577 (46.8%)

Ratings

Cook Solid R; Sabato Safe R; IE Solid R

Newest public polling

GSG (D) Aug 24–27 n=600: Barr 49 / Booker 40

Reported money

FEC Jun 30: Barr $9,981,055 / $2,305,546 COH; Booker $1,099,509 / $309,623

Notable

Trump endorsed Barr ~May 1. LPM: Win It Back 'entirely funded by Pennsylvania finance billionaire Jeff Yass'; $48M spent in the GOP primary through Mar 31.

Key dates in Kentucky

Read from the Kentucky State Board of Elections. The full guide, with the official tools, is on the Kentucky page.

• Voter registration deadlineOctober 5, 2026 is the last day to register to vote in the general election. The cut-off that day depends on the method: online registrations must be received by 4:00PM Local Time; mailed registrations can be postmarked October 5; registrations returned to the county clerk's office are accepted until close of business. Registration books are then closed from October 6 through November 9, 2026. elect.ky.gov
• Online registration deadlineOctober 5, 2026, 4:00 p.m. local time, through Kentucky's online voter registration system at govote.ky.gov. vrsws.sos.ky.gov
• Early in-person voting beginsThursday, October 29, 2026: first day of early in-person, no-excuse absentee voting. Voters with a qualifying excuse can vote in person earlier, during excused in-person absentee voting on October 21, 22, 23 and October 26, 27, 28, 2026. elect.ky.gov
• Deadline to request a mail-in absentee ballotOctober 20, 2026, 11:59PM (Eastern Time) is the last day to request a mail-in absentee ballot. The online request portal opens September 19, 2026, 12:01AM (Eastern Time). elect.ky.gov
• Deadline to return a mail-in absentee ballotAll mail-in absentee ballots must be received by 6:00PM Local Time on Election Day, November 3, 2026, to be counted; this is a received-by deadline, not a postmark deadline. Drop boxes are available in each county to hand deliver a ballot. elect.ky.gov
• Election DayTuesday, November 3, 2026 (General Election Day). elect.ky.gov
• Polling place hours on Election DayPolls are open from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM local time on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. If you are in line at 6:00 PM, you will be allowed to vote. For hours on the days of excused and no-excuse in-person absentee voting, the State Board of Elections directs voters to govote.ky.gov or their county clerk's office. elect.ky.gov

Voting in Kentucky: dates, rules and official tools

Questions and answers