Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., announced on Christmas Day the death of his longtime aide and campaign manager, a loss he said stunned those who knew her during the holiday. Barr, who is running for the U.S. Senate, said in a statement Thursday that his deputy chief of staff and campaign manager, Tatum Dale, had died.
He highlighted her contributions to his congressional office and her role in his campaign for statewide office.
“When I first ran to serve the Sixth District, Tatum Dale was one of the first people who volunteered to help. Born and raised in Murray, Tatum came to the University of Kentucky for college, and I’m forever grateful that she stayed to serve alongside me,” Barr wrote on X.
“For over 15 years, Tatum was the heart and soul of my team. She held almost every job in my office—Scheduler, Field Representative, Deputy District Director, District Director, then Deputy Chief of Staff and Campaign Manager for my U.S. Senate run,” he continued.
“With Tatum’s leadership, my office favorably closed thousands of cases for Kentuckians—helping veterans, seniors, and families throughout our district. She fought to deliver funds to support dozens of community projects across our Commonwealth,” Barr’s statement noted further.
“She loved helping people and was a servant of others, just as Christ envisioned us all to be. Maybe that’s why her birth in heaven is a shared birthday with our Lord and Savior. While our hearts are broken, our team finds peace and hope knowing that Tatum is now home with Christ, resting comfortably in the arms of her Savior,” he said.
“Tatum loved her family, her faith, and her Commonwealth. She made me a better Congressman, our staff better public servants, and we will all miss her forever. From Murray to Lexington and everywhere in the Commonwealth that she touched, we hope you will all join us in praying for Tatum’s family and friends—and be forever inspired by her memory to serve others,” Barr’s statement concluded.
Barr’s campaign to succeed retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell, who announced his plans to step down in February, has unfolded amid an early and competitive Republican primary field.
Despite the competition, former Kentucky attorney general and former gubernatorial candidate Daniel Cameron set aside political differences to comment on Dale’s passing and offer condolences.
“Tatum Dale was a friend,” Cameron noted on social media. “She will be truly missed. Makenze and I will be praying for her family and all of Team Barr.”
Several other people followed up Cameron’s post with one of their own to voice condolences to Barr, Fox News reported.
Dale joined Barr’s Washington, D.C., office in 2013 as a scheduler before returning to Kentucky, where she went on to serve as a district representative, field operations director, district deputy director, district director, and deputy chief of staff.
Barr said Dale was born in Murray and attended the University of Kentucky. The cause of her death has not been disclosed.
President Donald Trump is seeking to replace McConnell—who has frequently opposed the White House this year—with a loyal ally, but insiders say that concerns are rising within Trump’s inner circle over a front-runner’s repeated donations to lawmakers who voted to impeach the president.
Previous reports noted that Barr contributed seven times through his leadership PAC to support four House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in 2021 for allegedly inciting the January 6 Capitol riot, despite Trump urging his supporters to primary them out of office.
Barr, 51, has also criticized Trump as “irresponsible” and “not blameless” for the incident, yet personally voted against impeaching the then-45th president.
He is now engaged in a three-way race for McConnell’s Senate seat against Cameron, 39, and waste management entrepreneur Nate Morris, 44.
