Daniel Cameron ahead in GOP Kentucky Senate primary polls despite raising fraction of rivals’ funds

Former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron is consistently leading in GOP primary polling for the state’s 2026 Senate election despite raising far less than his other Republican opponents.

Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) is leading the pack in fundraising, raising over $1.3 million in the third quarter. Businessman Nate Morris trailed Barr, bringing in over $1.006 million in the reporting period. Cameron reported $411,224 in total contributions for the third quarter, raising less than half of what Morris reported and less than a third of what Barr reported.

Cameron’s financial woes don’t seem to have significantly affected the limited polling of the three candidates, however. Cameron has led the other candidates by double digits in recent polling.

An October internal poll commissioned by the Cameron campaign showed Cameron in the lead with 39% of likely Kentucky GOP voters, Barr at 22%, and Morris at 8%. A separate October poll commissioned by the Barr campaign also showed Cameron in the lead at 42%, Barr at 25%, and Morris at 10%.

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4335737/posts

Nate Morris is a textbook “McConnell protégé.” And this is not an attack on him for that - if you were an aspiring Republican in Kentucky that’s where you went...and the only place to go for awhile - McConnell got the reversal of the Dem stranglehold in motion. Being a Republican was to be lost in the wilderness.

McConnell and Nate Morris have been on first name terms over two decades now. His ties to McConnell are why he became a political force in Kentucky and his connections and networking may have helped him in his private sector career as well.

Again - not attacking for that - but what I do find highly questionable is him now claiming he is the only candidate running that does not have ties to Mitch McConnell and is the “political outsider” in the race. If anything, he has the longest history of direct close ties to McConnell and the political establishment at large of any of the major candidates. That’s just disingenuous of him to claim otherwise. Also his claims of being “anti-woke” are a joke has he has long championed ESG, DEI, BLM, and the like as a work corporate CEO, and he also claims to be a “Trump champion” when he supported Nikki Haley in 2024 - his right to do so, but claiming to be the most “Trumpist” candidate is also disingenuous.

Here are some excerpts from an old article from 2004 - going back decades which further illustrate the point:

http://www.tpj.org/2004/08/lexington-herald-leader-kentucky.html

Morris has raised more than $50,000 from dozens of donors for President Bush’s re-election campaign.

...

To succeed, Nate Morris eschews partisan stridency in favor of an ingratiating manner, a talent for cultivating his elders and a thickening Rolodex. Aside from his efforts for Bush, Morris has helped to elect Kentucky Republicans, including U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell and two McConnell proteges, U.S. Rep. Anne Northup and Gov. Ernie Fletcher.

He hopes to run for office one day, and bundling is a fine way to raise his profile among the players. More immediately, Morris is a passionate advocate for what he calls “investing in your beliefs.” (how can you be any more of a political insider than this?)

...

“You can really be effective in government even without holding office, by helping people with great ideas to get elected,” Morris said recently. Politicians are quick to praise him.

“Everybody knows Nate,” said McConnell, one of Morris’ mentors and a master fund-raiser in his own right. (McConnell has been a mentor of Morris’ from the start of his political rise...now he claims he’s the candidate who does not have ties to McConnell)

“Nate is the kind of kid you remember because he seems to be so sincere and so dedicated to the cause, he kind of stands out,” McConnell said. “It’s obvious that it’s an important part of his life.” (Again, note that this is over 20 years ago...his ties are strong and have a long history - first name basis)

Click to read the entire article - further discusses his long term ties to not just McConnell, but other prominent establishment politicians. Any claim he’s a “political outsider” and “not a McConnell boy” (his words) just simply is not true...he is and has been...for decades. It is how he got to where he is now. But now his entire branding in this primary campaign is his “outsider” credentials without any connections to McConnell.

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4332039/posts

Nate Morris posted in support of DEI and ESG, things he’s since pledged to oppose.

...

The deleted tweets included multiple posts promoting the concept of a circular economy, a movement defined by the Environmental Protection Agency as a model that “keeps materials and products in circulation for as long as possible” and “an important part of slowing climate change.” The concept, promoted by organizations like the World Economic Forum and the United Nations, frequently comes alongside government regulations and mandates.

....

Previously deleted blog posts from Morris’ time as CEO of Rubicon, a large recycling company, have come under scrutiny for their promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and Environmental Social and Governance (ESG). For example, in one post from September 2020, Morris praised a new board member of Rubicon for helping the company remain “at the forefront of the ESG movement.”

In another deleted post from June 1, 2020, Morris wrote that he was “feeling profound sadness and anger at the tragic events of recent weeks” in the wake of the death of George Floyd.

“The protests we are seeing are a manifestation of the pain and anger that so many are feeling,” he wrote. “While it is important that we understand that pain and anger, it cannot bring back the lives that have been lost or undo the past injustices that have plagued our nation for generations. That pain and anger must fuel real, measurable, and decisive action to light a better path forward.”

Another post highlighted Morris’ decision to sign a DEI commitment, which included pledges “to have complex discussions about diversity and inclusion, to implement and expand upon unconscious bias education, and to share best and unsuccessful diversity and inclusion practices.”

...

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