Daniel Cameron looks to faith as GOP Senate race comes to a close on Election Day
Daniel Cameron was reminded at a Mother’s Day church service of a story from the Bible that feels relevant to his run for U.S. Senate, now running against Rep. Andy Barr, who has a fresh endorsement from President Donald Trump.
In it, God tells 100-year-old Abraham – the patriarch of Christianity, Judaism and Islam – that he and his 90-year-old wife Sarah will bear a son. Sarah famously laughs, given that her advanced age would make it a biological impossibility.
What God told Sarah in response, Cameron said to a small crowd in a downtown Lexington office not long before Tuesday’s election, is “where we’ve rested as a family.”
“He said, ‘Is there anything too hard for the Lord?’ It’s a rhetorical question, because we know the answer. So that’s what I pose to you all: There’s nothing that is too hard, there’s nothing that is too difficult, there’s nothing that we cannot achieve together. Let’s go win this thing on May 19. You all will be the reason that we do it,” Cameron said to cheers.
It might seem grim to compare your electoral odds to that of a 90-year-old woman having a child.
But if you have faith in Cameron, you have faith that other Kentucky Republican voters will support him.
“I think we’re still in the Bible Belt, last I checked,” said Delvin Azofeifa, an educator in Fayette County and supporter of Cameron’s at the event. “We still have plenty of people who they call ‘The Evangelical vote.’ I believe that a lot of those people who are exposed and experienced to him, he’s going to have those voters.”
It’s a key constituency for Cameron as he hopes to withstand the force of being outspent by Barr and allies by a huge margin in addition to the Trump endorsement. With the support of key allies to Rep. Thomas Massie and Sen. Rand Paul, Cameron’s task is to weld together a somewhat unnatural coalition of those voters, Republicans voting against Trump, people who know and like Cameron, and evangelicals.
After his speech, Cameron prayed with supporters, including the owners of the hosting company, Indoorsy, which specializes in short-term rentals in the Red River Gorge area.
In contrast to Massie, whose approach to beating back a Trump-endorsed candidate can best be described as defiant, Cameron is hoping to kill that advantage with kindness.
His negatives on Barr are not searing. They’re limited to references to “special interests” and being focused on the machinations of Washington over matters in Kentucky.
“(Voters) don’t care much about what’s happening in Washington. They care about who’s going to represent their interests and values,” Cameron said.
“Values” was a key reason why David Walls, executive director of The Family Foundation in Kentucky, one of the state’s top social conservative groups, is supporting Cameron.
Counter to Trump’s support for adding exceptions for rape and incest to near-complete abortion bans like the one in Kentucky, Cameron defended the state’s current law as attorney general and continues to support it; Barr, on the other hand, supports exceptions.
Cameron got walloped in his five-point loss to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear over that issue. But Walls, who is supporting Cameron in his personal capacity, appreciates Cameron’s commitment to the issue — as do conservative groups like Kentucky Right to Life.
“From my perspective, pro-life is always one of the most high-conviction issues, and it comes down to: Daniel Cameron has proved himself to be a fighter on that issue,” Walls said.
Walls said he was also drawn to Cameron’s lack of negativity on the campaign, which he saw as a sign of “an authenticity of his faith.”
Strategically, Cameron’s relative kindness in the face of a political challenge could be seen a few different ways: He is campaigning the same way he lives, he thinks it’s the best way to seriously challenge Barr, or he’s being careful to not make enemies to keep his political options open should he lose.
So what would he do if he loses?
Cameron compared his work speaking on issues to being “in the mission field,” and said he’s working to be an “ambassador for the Lord” as well as “salt and light” to both his young family and the public
He also mentioned some dates.
“What I’ve said to people is that I’m going to continue to speak truthfully and boldly, and, you know, I’ll do that whether it’s May 18, May 19, or May 20 – or you know, 2027.”
Wait, 2027? As in, the year the next governor’s election will take place?
He quickly clarified.
“2027, 2028, 2029,” he said, smiling.
So, at least for now, don’t read too much into it, he said.
