Republican Party Internal Battles

Axios reports that a Club for Growth–aligned super PAC, Win It Back, has launched a sharply negative TV ad campaign branding Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) 'Amnesty Andy' and 'illegal aliens' best amigo' in the Republican primary to replace retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell. In under a week, the PAC has spent nearly $750,000 on the spot across multiple Kentucky media markets, while also airing messages tying Barr to McConnell as someone 'groomed' by the former GOP leader. Barr responded that he has 'never' and will 'never support amnesty,' arguing the group is attacking him for voting to back President Trump’s border-security agenda and promoting his own 'Cheers to ICE' ad touting his support for expanding immigration enforcement. The race, in which former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron and businessman Nate Morris are also major contenders, is considered safely Republican but is quickly becoming one of the cycle’s nastiest intra-party fights over immigration purity. The stakes are national, with Elon Musk having already written a $10 million check to support Morris, underscoring how billionaire donors and outside groups are battling to shape the post-McConnell GOP in the Senate.