Republican Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky held on to his seat Tuesday, defeating Democratic challenger Amy McGrath in one of the most closely watched House races of the 2018 elections.
Heading into Election Day, the race for Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District remained tight, with Barr’s lead over his Democratic challenger disappearing as the campaign neared its end.
The race was considered critical, as it could’ve helped Democrats flip control of the House for the first time in eight years.
Maddie Anderson, spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, congratulated Barr on his re-election.
“He ran one of the smartest campaigns in the country by defining his opponent early, and it paid off,” she said in a statement. “Kentuckians rejected Amy McGrath’s radical agenda in favor of a strong economy and lower taxes.”
Kentucky’s 6th has Democratic roots, but Barr won the seat in 2012 when a wave of anti-Obama candidates were elected to Congress. Two years ago, Barr won re-election by 22 percentage points.
President Trump, meanwhile, won the district in 2016 by 15 percentage points, and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney took the district in 2012.
Throughout the campaign, healthcare emerged as a key issue, with McGrath and Barr sparring during a debate last month.
Barr accused McGrath then of backing socialized medicine, while McGrath painted the Republican incumbent as a liar.
In the run-up to Tuesday’s election, well-known figures in the Republican Party visited Kentucky’s 6th to campaign for Barr.
Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former Fox News host who now serves as vice chair of a pro-Trump super PAC, appeared at a rally with the Kentucky Republican on Monday.
Their appearance comes after President Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan, and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise stumped for Barr as part of their efforts to boost Republicans on the ballot.
McGrath, meanwhile, appeared alongside former Vice President Joe Biden last month.
During the campaign, McGrath rarely mentioned Trump by name and instead chose to play up the contrasts with the current administration.
