Businessman says he won't wait for McConnell retirement if he decides to run for Senate seat

Kentucky businessman Nate Morris said Wednesday that he is not waiting for Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to decide whether he will run for reelection next year, announcing his interest in launching a challenge to the veteran senator for the seat.

“This week, I've seen some comments from a couple potential candidates for Senate suggesting they will only run if Mitch McConnell decides to retire," Morris said Wednesday in a post on social platform X. "And I think that's exactly what's wrong with our politics today and why we have so many politicians in Washington who are so weak that they constantly fold to the left."

“If you're asking for permission for Mitch McConnell to run for the Senate here in Kentucky, then you shouldn't be running in the first place because you're not running for the right reasons," he added.

McConnell, 89, has faced a series of freeze-ups and falls in recent years, leading to questions over whether he will run for another term. The Kentucky Republican has served in the upper chamber for nearly 40 years in several top roles, earning him the title of longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history. He stepped down from leadership in November.

Morris slammed McConnell's track record, accusing him of making decisions that undermine the GOP.

“Mitch McConnell unfortunately has sold Kentucky conservatives out for years now. He's turned his back on us, and he's turned his back on President Trump," the businessman wrote. "He even voted against Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary."

“The last thing Kentucky needs is another weak Republican who is nothing more than a puppet for Mitch McConnell. I'm inspired to possibly run by people like President Trump and my dear friend J.D. Vance. True outsiders," Morris added.

McConnell was also the sole Republican to vote against former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, on Wednesday. Gabbard was confirmed in a 52-48 vote.

Morris said he has not yet decided on whether he will launch a campaign.

“There's been a lot of rumors over the past few weeks about me possibly running for Senator or Governor here in Kentucky. I haven't made a decision yet, but I'm seriously looking at it,” he said in the video posted to X.

“I think President Trump needs less of these weak career politicians running for office and more outside businessmen who are going to fight for his America First agenda," the businessman added.

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