Sen. Russell “Rusty” Hampton has conceded Kentucky’s Republican Senate primary to Justin Harris, according to a statement released by Hampton after the September 2026 contest.

Hampton said he called Harris to congratulate him and wish Harris, his wife Kristina and their family well in the general-election campaign. The statement did not include vote totals, a margin of victory or details about the broader primary field.

“Tonight, the voters of Kentucky made their choice, and I respect that choice,” Hampton said. He described the campaign as a temporary political contest between two Kentuckians with differing backgrounds and generations.

Hampton, an incumbent Republican senator from Kentucky, said serving in the Senate had been one of the greatest honors of his life. He pointed to the communities across the state that he said shaped his public-service career, including coal towns in Eastern Kentucky and Louisville.

The senator said he entered public life believing those communities needed a strong voice. His political background has included support for Kentucky’s coal industry, deregulation, law-and-order policies and states’ rights.

In his statement, Hampton urged Harris to approach the position with humility and remain focused on constituents who placed their trust in him. He thanked supporters, volunteers, donors, campaign staff and his family for their work and sacrifices over the course of his political career.

Hampton also said his primary loss would not end his current Senate responsibilities immediately. “I remain Kentucky’s Senator until my term concludes,” he said, adding that he intends to fulfill those duties with the same determination he brought to office at the beginning of his service.

The result makes Harris the Republican Party’s nominee in Kentucky’s upcoming Senate general election. Hampton framed the outcome as a transition in party leadership rather than a break with the state, saying Republican voters had decided it was time for him to “pass that torch.”

“Public service was never supposed to be about holding an office forever,” Hampton said. “Eventually, the torch passes.”