Thomas Massie not ruling out US Senate bid, but bullish on Cameron’s odds
Rep. Thomas Massie is certainly in the spotlight. Could he also be on the statewide ballot?
The congressman is not denying the possibility, telling the Herald-Leader he “wouldn’t rule it out.”
Massie said in an interview Friday he thinks he would win the race for Sen. Mitch McConnell’s seat, particularly if former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron switched over to run for Massie’s seat — a possibility Cameron hase thoroughly denied.
Massie likes his chances against the other two contenders for McConnell’s seat, Rep. Andy Barr and Lexington entrepreneur Nate Morris.
“I mean, we’ve got until January to decide, and if you polled that race with me, Nate Morris and Andy Barr, I’m pretty sure I would be the winner at this point. But it’s kind of a ridiculous proposition that Daniel Cameron would get out of a Senate race that he’s winning,” Massie said.
Both Cameron’s campaign and members of President Donald Trump’s political team have denied the possibility that Cameron would drop out and run for Massie’s seat.
Candidates running for office in 2026, when Sen. Mitch McConnell’s seat comes open, must file by Jan. 9, 2026.
How does Massie know that Cameron “is winning?” He said he’s run polling in his own district gauging his constituents’ support for Barr, Cameron, Morris and GOP candidate Michael Faris. As of an early September poll, Cameron is wiping the floor with everyone else in the 4th Congressional District, he said.
“Cameron’s got more than Barr, plus Morris, plus Faris combined. Like the three other guys added up don’t equal Cameron’s number in Kentucky’s 4th District,” Massie said.
Massie has previously said he doesn’t think he would run for U.S. Senate and instead hinted at a gubernatorial bid, often using the line that the Senate would be the “same circus with different monkeys.”
Though he seemed less negative about the idea during the Friday interview, Massie said he doesn’t think anything has changed substantially about his calculus.
“I don’t think I’ve ever ruled it out completely, so I’m not saying there’s any increased likelihood,” Massie said.
Meanwhile, Rep. James Comer, a friend of Massie’s, has ramped up his network-building efforts in advance of a widely expected bid for governor in 2027.
In the era of Trump, Massie has carved out a national role as a dissenting voice within the GOP on many issues. Those include his opposition to Trump’s recent marquee budget bill, the administration’s actions in Iran and Israel and, most notably, the administration’s handling of files related to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump has lashed out at Massie for his actions this year, and members of Trump’s political team are seeking to unseat him in the 2026 GOP primary.
Massie has remained confident that he will win against any primary opponent in his own district. A recent POLITICO story recounted a meeting where Trump expressed displeasure at the anti-abortion hardline stance of potential Massie contender, state Sen. Aaron Reed, R-Shelbyville. No Trump-backed candidate has announced candidacy yet.
Massie also shared Friday that his campaign had raised more than $500,000 over the last three months, a mark it has come close to hitting over the past three fundraising quarters.
