Republican Senate candidate Daniel Cameron lavished praise Monday on Donald Trump and criticized his mentor Sen. Mitch McConnell, reflecting the president's dominance within the GOP and setting an early tone for what looks to be a competitive primary for a Kentucky Senate seat in 2026.

Daniel Cameron is no stranger to Kentucky politics and is now seeking a larger stage in Washington, D.C. Just minutes after Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell announced he would not run for reelection, Cameron shared he plans to run for the open seat.

The former gubernatorial candidate came up short in 2023 but is widely seen as the GOP leader’s heir apparent.

Former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron pitched his bid for outgoing Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) Senate seat. McConnell, who was first elected in 1984, announced last week he would not run for another term.

Daniel Cameron, Kentucky's former attorney general, wasted no time announcing he plans to run for Sen. Mitch McConnell's seat after McConnell retires.

On X, Cameron said “it's time for a new generation of leadership” in Kentucky shortly after Mitch McConnell announced retirement.

Cameron made the announcement just minutes after longtime Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-KY, said he would not seek an eighth term to the U.S. Senate.

Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell announced on Thursday that he won’t seek reelection next year, ending a decadeslong tenure as a power broker who championed conservative causes but ultimately ceded ground to the fierce GOP populism of President Donald Trump.