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Kentucky Republican Rep. Andy Barr announced recently that one of his top aides had died, calling her “the heart and soul” of his team. Since graduating from the University of Kentucky in 2012, Tatum Dale has worked with the congressmen.
Most recently, she was the campaign manager for Barr’s 2026 Senate bid to replace retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in the Bluegrass State.
“It is with an incredibly heavy heart that I announce the passing of Tatum Dale, my longtime District Director, Deputy Chief of Staff, and Campaign Manager,” Barr wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“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. 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,” Barr said.
“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. 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,” Barr continued.
Barr added, “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.”
Many heartfelt tributes poured in on social media for the beloved staff member, with some saying that her death was unexpected.
“I am absolutely devastated to hear of the unexpected passing of Congressman Barr’s longtime staffer and district director, Tatum Dale,” Ralph Alvarado, a former Kentucky state lawmaker, wrote on X. “Tatum was an amazing person, a highly respected political operative, and a truly loved and dear friend to all who were fortunate enough to know her.”
Former Kentucky attorney general and current GOP Senate candidate Daniel Cameron called Dale “a friend” and said, “She will be truly missed,” in an X post.
Sean Southard, a Republican strategist and communications director for Montana GOP Gov. Greg Gianforte, said he was “totally shocked” by the news of Dale’s death.
“Tatum was one of those hardworking people who seemed to be at every GOP event. Praying for her family and her work colleagues,” Southard wrote on social media.
Ralph Alvarado, a Republican running for Congress to represent Kentucky’s Sixth District, wrote on X, “I am absolutely devastated to hear of the unexpected passing of Congressman Barr’s longtime staffer and district director, Tatum Dale. Tatum was an amazing person, a highly respected political operative, and a truly loved and dear friend to all who were fortunate enough to know her. My family and I are praying that her friends and loved ones find peace and solace during this incredibly difficult time.”
Dale died on Christmas Eve, according to the Courier-Journal. Her cause of death was not immediately clear.
