LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Democrat Amy McGrath, a retired Marine aviator, on Monday entered the Senate campaign in Kentucky, vowing to be a “bulwark against authoritarianism” in launching a comeback bid after being trounced by Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell in 2020.

McGrath joins a growing field of Republicans and Democrats competing in the 2026 midterms for the seat occupied since the mid-1980s by McConnell, who is retiring when his current term ends.

Once seen as a rising Democratic star in a GOP-dominated state, McGrath touted her combat experience but lost elections for Congress in 2018 and the Senate two years later. McGrath flew in 89 combat missions against al-Qaeda and the Taliban during her 20-year Marine career.

“I swore an oath to defend this country against all enemies, foreign and domestic," McGrath said in a statement Monday. "Running for Senate is an extension of that oath. I’ll be a bulwark against authoritarianism and threats to our democracy. Even if we don’t see eye to eye on every issue, you’ll always know where I stand: on the side of Kentucky and democracy.”