Kentucky Republican incumbent Andy Barr will win reelection narrowly in Kentucky’s 6th congressional district, defeating his Democratic challenger Amy McGrath, according to the Associated Press.
With 94 percent reporting, Barr led with 50.9 percent of the vote, compared to McGrath’s 47.9 percent.
Barr was first elected in 2012. In 2016, he beat his Democratic opponent, Nancy Jo Kemper, by more than 20 points, and President Donald Trump carried the district by 15 points. Barr’s reelection campaign this year was much tougher.
McGrath was the first female Marine to fly an F-18 in combat. She received national attention when her campaign announcement video went viral last summer.
Polls leading up to Election Day indicted the race this year was close, and Democrats considered it a key district to flip in their efforts to retake the House.
Ben Goldey, a lifetime resident of the district and a former campaign staffer for Barr, attributed the Republican’s success to Barr’s campaign message and his constituents’ support for President Donald Trump. “Kentucky is Trump country. Republican tax cuts, strong borders, and protecting life won at the ballot box,” he said.
