Former Marine Amy McGrath from Kentucky is taking another shot at running for the Senate.

This time, instead of facing off against Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), McGrath is entering a race full of Democrats and Republicans eager to fill McConnell’s seat after he retires. McGrath joins two political outsiders, former Secret Service agent Logan Forsythe and ex-CIA officer Joel Willett, as well as state Rep. Pamela Stevenson, in the 2026 Democratic primary field.

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FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT AND EX-CIA OFFICER LAUNCH DEMOCRATIC BIDS FOR MCCONNELL’S SENATE SEAT

“Our democracy is under siege, cowards in Washington are bowing to Donald Trump, and Kentuckians are paying the price. Kentuckians deserve someone battle-tested and ready to fight for them on day one. I’ve spent my life stepping up when the mission was tough and the stakes were high, first as a Marine and now for Kentucky. I’m ready to complete the mission,” McGrath wrote in her announcement on X.

McGrath, a former F-18 fighter jet pilot, has voiced her disagreement with many of the opinions of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who has pushed for “gender neutral” standards in the military. She recently told CNN, “Pete Hegseth still has a lot to learn.”

“When I flew my combat missions, there was not a set male standard and a female standard for flying an aircraft onto the back of an aircraft carrier. You can either do it or you can’t,” McGrath said.

McGrath is running an anti-Trump campaign in a state where President Donald Trump beat former Vice President Kamala Harris by about 30 points in 2024. She told the Lexington Herald-Leader‘s Austin Horn that she thinks her campaign will resonate with Kentuckians.

“What we’re seeing from folks in power right now is not what most Kentuckians voted for. I don’t think any Kentuckians voted for higher prices or less health care. They didn’t vote for more taxes in the form of tariffs and putting rural hospitals at risk. That’s what we’re getting right now,” McGrath said.

McGrath is running with a simple slogan, “End the chaos. Cut costs. Protect freedoms,” according to her campaign website. Her website also highlights campaign priorities, including cutting grocery costs, maintaining Kentucky’s status as an “energy leader,” and keeping rural hospitals open.

The McGrath campaign did not respond to the Washington Examiner‘s request for comment.

Each Republican candidate in the Senate race, including Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY), former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, and businessman Nate Morris, is vying for Trump’s endorsement in the Republican primary.

This is not McGrath’s first rodeo when it comes to campaigning as a red-state Democrat under Trump. She first ran for McConnell’s seat in 2020, falling to the Kentucky Republican approximately 38.2% to 57.8% despite raising just over $80 million for her campaign.

McGrath also faced off against Barr when she challenged him for Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District in 2018. She garnered about 48.7% of the vote to Barr’s 51%.

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“Andy Barr and President Trump beat Amy McGrath once, and they’ll do it again. Together, they defeated her in what was once a battleground district, despite her millions from coastal elites and endless airtime from the liberal media,” Alex Bellizzi, Barr’s campaign spokesman, said in a statement to the Washington Examiner.

Kentucky’s Senate primary Election Day will be held on May 19, 2026. The general election is set for Nov. 3, 2026.