LEXINGTON, Ky. - Sen. Mitch McConnell commands immense respect in Kentucky, where state lawmakers approved placing his statue beside Abraham Lincoln's in the U.S. Capitol. Overcoming polio in his youth, McConnell became the longest-serving Senate leader ever and played a key role in building a conservative majority on the Supreme Court.

Yet on the campaign trail, as Republicans seek his successor, lavish praise for McConnell is notably absent.

U.S. Rep. Andy Barr and former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, vying for the GOP nomination in Tuesday's primary, are strategically creating space from the senator they once called a mentor.

This reflects the final chapter of a major generational change in the Republican Party, as establishment icons like McConnell exit while President Donald Trump completes his reshaping of the GOP. McConnell, at 84, is widely seen as out of step with modern "Make America Great Again" fervor, yet he retains substantial sway and a devoted base in Kentucky.

The contenders navigate a "razor's edge," balancing loyalty from the senator's establishment allies against voter frustration with McConnell's traditional Reagan-Bush style Republicans, according to Stephen Voss, a political scientist at the University of Kentucky.

McConnell clashed with Trump after the January 6 Capitol riot, blaming him for inciting it. Lately, he has resisted some Trump picks, such as Pete Hegseth for defense secretary and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health secretary, while pushing for ongoing U.S. military aid to Ukraine amid Russia's invasion.

Numerous Kentucky Republicans owe their careers, directly or indirectly, to McConnell. They often highlight the more than $65 billion his office claims to have directed to the state, plus his efforts in cementing GOP control locally.

That made it jarring for some when third candidate Nate Morris aired an ad tossing a cardboard McConnell cutout into the trash, labeling Barr and Cameron as "McConnell's boys."

Appearing anti-Trump spells trouble with GOP primary voters, but the tactic flopped for 21-year-old Shawnee State University student Landon Shaw.

"He's fixated on his opposition to McConnell," Shaw said, "but says little about his own plans."

The approach didn't resonate more broadly either. Despite $10 million from Elon Musk, Morris trailed Cameron and Barr. Two weeks back, Trump dangled an ambassadorship, prompting Morris to exit the race.

Even with lingering appreciation for McConnell, many Kentucky Republicans crave fresh leadership.

"He served the nation and Kentucky exceptionally, but the times are evolving - we must move forward and express our gratitude," said Tony Quillen, 61, Greenup County's property valuation administrator.

Cameron, once McConnell's legal counsel, tapped into this sentiment last year. In a social media video that kickstarted his bid, he declared the senator "flat out wrong" on opposing Hegseth, Kennedy, and Tulsi Gabbard for national intelligence director.

In a quieter moment after a recent Lincoln Day Dinner in Covington, Kentucky, as the banquet hall cleared out, Cameron adopted a softer tone.

"Folks recognize this as a change election and want new blood in that seat," he explained, "yet they reject piling on a departing leader. It's the gracious, polite side of Kentuckians."

Barr, a former McConnell intern, hints at a big-tent GOP including McConnell loyalists, but delivers a rehearsed response on the trail.

"Voters ask me," Barr told a crowd at a recent public library event, "are you a Mitch McConnell Republican or a Rand Paul Republican?" - nodding to Kentucky's other senator.

"I'm neither - I'm an Andy Barr Republican," he asserted.

Trump endorsed Barr early this month. A Cameron consultant countered by spotlighting Barr's McConnell ties.

"Congratulations to Mitch McConnell on securing his pick," the statement read.

At one of their last pre-primary forums, both candidates praised McConnell, per a local report from The Paducah Sun.

"Sen. McConnell secured vast resources for us, and we need someone in D.C. to uphold that duty," Cameron stated.

Barr praised Kentucky's rise under McConnell. "We must keep punching above our weight, as Sen. McConnell urged," he said, stressing he charts his own course.

Voss, the politics professor, noted McConnell's team grasps the dynamics.

"His allies realize candidates must create some separation from McConnell," Voss said, "but outright attacks or disrespect cross a line."