根据决策台总部（DDHQ）的初步结果，共和党众议员安迪·巴尔（Andy Barr）预计将赢得肯塔基州的空缺参议院席位，接替即将退休的参议员米奇·麦康奈尔（Mitch McConnell）。
Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) is projected to win Kentucky’s open Senate seat and succeed retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), according to preliminary results from Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ).
巴尔击败了前肯塔基州众议员查尔斯·布克（Charles Booker，民主党人）。DDHQ是《国会山报》的选举合作伙伴，认为这对肯塔基州共和党人来说将是一次稳操胜券的胜利。《库克政治报告》将这场参议院选举列为稳稳有利于共和党。
Barr defeated former Kentucky state Rep. Charles Booker (D) in what DDHQ, The Hill’s election partner, deemed would be a safe win for the Kentucky Republican. The Cook Political Report categorized the Senate race as a being solidly in favor of the GOP.
截至周二东部标准时间晚上8点26分，DDHQ报道的38%的选票显示，巴尔领先布克3.9个百分点。
Barr led Booker by 3.9 percentage points with 38 percent of the vote reported by DDHQ as of 8:26 p.m. EST Tuesday.
巴尔获得了肯塔基州和全国共和党人的一波背书，包括来自特朗普总统以及众议院和参议院共和党领导层的背书。
Barr received a wave of endorsements from Kentucky and national Republicans, including from President Trump and House and Senate Republican leadership.
特朗普总统曾要求商人内特·莫里斯（Nate Morris）——另一位参议院有意参选者——从共和党初选中“退出”，并加入他的政府担任美国大使，莫里斯接受了，从而为巴尔成为候选人铺平了道路。
The president had asked businessman Nate Morris, another Senate hopeful, to “step aside” from the GOP primary and join his administration as a U.S. ambassador, which he accepted, clearing the way for Barr to be the nominee.
特朗普总统在5月支持巴尔的真实社交（Truth Social）帖子中说，这位立法者“是终止阻挠议事的坚定支持者，在民主党人这样做之前（如果他们掌控美国参议院，他们会在第一天这样做）。”巴尔于2012年首次当选国会议员，成为前总统奥巴马的直言不讳的反对者。他此前曾在国会山担任麦康奈尔的实习生，随后担任前众议员吉姆·塔伦特（Jim Talent，密苏里州，共和党人）的立法助理。
The president said in his Truth Social post in May endorsing Barr that the lawmaker “is a Strong Supporter of TERMINATING THE FILIBUSTER, before the Democrats do it (which they will, on Day One, if they get control of the U.S. Senate!).”Barr was first elected to Congress in 2012, becoming a vocal opponent against former President Obama. He previously worked on Capitol Hill as an intern for McConnell, then as a legislative assistant to former Rep. Jim Talent (R-Mo.).
麦康奈尔此前已预计将在任期结束时退休，他已宣布将于2024年2月卸下共和党领导职务。但他在华盛顿特区的联排别墅摔倒，随后住院，引发了数周关于他健康状况的猜测。
McConnell was already expecting to retire at the end of his term, having announced that he would step down from Republican leadership in February 2024. But a fall at his Washington townhouse in June and subsequent hospitalization led to weeks of speculation about his health.
该议员长达数月的缺席促使肯塔基州州长安迪·贝希尔（民主党）要求提供生存证明，并引发网上猜测，包括在南卡罗来纳州参议员林赛·格雷厄姆（共和党）突然去世后。这位有影响力的肯塔基州共和党人发布了声明和照片，证明其生存，最终于九月重返国会山。
The lawmaker’s monthslong absence prompted Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) to request proof of life and fueled speculation online, including after the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.). The influential Kentucky Republican released statements and photos showing proof of life, ultimately returning to Capitol Hill in September.