Two former federal government officials have entered the 2026 Senate election in Kentucky to replace incumbent seven-term Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, who has held the Senate seat since 1972.
Former Secret Service Special Agent Logan Forsythe launched his campaign yesterday, and today former CIA agent Joel Willett announced his candidacy. Both are running as Democrats.
(The deep red state of Kentucky, with two GOP Senators, notably has a Democrat, Andy Beshear, in the Governor’s office. Five of its six House seats are held by Republicans.)
With the video below, Willett (who also served in the Army National Guard) wrote: “Tulsi Gabbard revoked my security clearance after learning I’m considering a Senate run. Laura Loomer and right-wing trolls unleashed a wave of attacks. Then came death threats. The Trump machine wants to shut me up. But I won’t: I’m running to be Kentucky’s next senator.”
Tulsi Gabbard revoked my security clearance after learning I'm considering a Senate run.
— Joel for Kentucky (@joelforkentucky) September 17, 2025
Laura Loomer and right-wing trolls unleashed a wave of attacks. Then came death threats.
The Trump machine wants to shut me up. But I won't:
I'm running to be Kentucky's next senator. pic.twitter.com/YzhY7QEgKo
Gabbard revoked Willett’s clearance as part of a purge targeting 37 current and former intelligence officials. (Willett left the government in 2015, and in 2019 he signed a letter calling for Trump’s impeachment.)
Note: Four Republicans so far have launched their campaigns, too, including U.S. Representative Andy Barr, former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, and businessman Nate Morris, who announced his bid “as the MAGA candidate” on a podcast hosted by Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump, Jr., and was endorsed by the late Charlie Kirk and his organization Turning Point Action.
Morris said of his GOP primary competition: “Both of my opponents continue to bend the knee to the man they call their ‘mentor’ and refuse to say a word about Mitch McConnell constantly attacking President Trump and his America First foreign policy and tariffs.”
.jpg){kind=link}