Mitch McConnell is retiring. Establishment donors have decided who they don’t want replacing him

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Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced in February that he wouldn’t be seeking reelection, but has so far stopped short of endorsing a successor. That hasn’t stopped wealthy donors linked to him and other party leaders from throwing large sums of cash into sinking the candidacy of Nate Morris, a Republican who has defined himself in opposition to McConnell’s legacy.

In January, operatives working with PDS Compliance, a major GOP political finance firm, filed paperwork establishing the Keep America Great PAC. As the months ticked by, hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations flowed in from wealthy Republican donors who frequently contribute to party leadership, including to the McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund. After building up a considerable war chest, Keep America Great PAC spent $811,925 between June 30 and August 13 on a barrage of text blasts and digital advertisements aimed at sinking Morris’ bid for Senate. The PAC recently announced an additional $1.2 million ad buy attacking Morris.

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