Comer won’t run for McConnell’s Kentucky Senate seat in 2026

Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) said he won’t run for Sen. Mitch McConnell’s open Kentucky Senate seat in 2026 after the former Senate Republican leader announced he would not seek another term.

“I’ve made it very clear I’m not running for the Senate,” Comer told The Hill on Thursday. “Maybe governor on down the road, but … not Senate.”

McConnell, one of the leading GOP figures in the last several decades, announced his decision in a floor speech in the chamber he’s served in since 1985.

“Seven times my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate,” he said, adding, “I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last.”

McConnell, 83, announced last year that he would be stepping aside after leading Senate Republicans for 18 years. While remaining as a GOP powerhouse for more than 40 years, McConnell has had various health issues recently, including a fall earlier this month that has left him in a wheelchair for many of his public appearances.

“I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone,” Comer said of McConnell’s announcement.

“We had a great working relationship with Sen. McConnell,” the representative continued. “Our office worked really well with his staff on Kentucky issues, didn’t always agree with Sen. McConnell on foreign policy and spending and things like that, but he did a great job representing his constituents on casework and things like that.”

Although the announcement is still in its early hours, several people have expressed interest in replacing McConnell in the Senate.

Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) and former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R) have said they will run for McConnell’s seat in 2026.

Comer said Barr and Cameron are both friends of his, so he is “not taking sides yet.”