Faris joins crowded Republican slate of U.S. Senate candidates

Michael Faris of Elizabethtown filed last week to run for the U.S. Senate for Kentucky as a Republican in the 2026 election.

Faris is an Air Force veteran, and has more than two decades of experience in aviation and aerospace maintenance. He is the founder and president of PRIMEHAWX, LLC, which provides inspection and maintenance services for H-60 Blackhawk helicopters worldwide.

Faris joins an already crowded field of candidates on both sides of the aisle.

2026 U.S. Senate Republican candidates who have filed include:

Andy Barr – U.S. Representative from Kentucky’s 6th District.

Daniel Cameron – Former Kentucky Attorney General.

Nate Morris – Businessman and tech entrepreneur.

Wende Kennedy – Republican candidate.

Andrew Shelley – Republican candidate.


Democratic and Independent candidates include:

Amy McGrath – Retired Marine Corps fighter pilot and former Senate candidate.

Pamela Stevenson – Kentucky State Representative and House minority leader.

Charles Booker – Former State Representative.

Logan Forsythe – Lexington attorney, former U.S. Secret Service agent and veteran.

Dale Romans – Horse trainer and Independent Democrat.

Joel Willett – Former CIA officer and military veteran.

Jared Randall – Democratic candidate.

Vincent Thompson – Democratic candidate.


The candidate filing deadline in Kentucky is January 9, and the primary election is scheduled for May 19.