Andy Barr took the oath of office as the new United States Representative for Kentucky’s Sixth Congressional District on January 3, 2013. As the Sixth District extends from the Bluegrass Region to the edge of the Cumberland Plateau’s coalfields, Congressman Barr enjoys the distinct honor of representing a geographically diverse region, whose residents work in virtually all of Kentucky’s signature industries.

Congressman Barr has dedicated his tenure in Congress to promoting the dreams and aspirations of his constituents by strengthening Kentucky’s signature coal, manufacturing, equine, bourbon, and agriculture industries, while fighting for policies that unleash the creative capacity of every individual. His immediate priorities involve getting Kentuckians back to work, promoting economic growth, and restoring common sense and fiscal sanity to Washington.

Garland “Andy” Barr was born in Lexington, Kentucky on July 24, 1973; the son of Garland Barr; the founder of a successful accounting practice, and Donna Barr, an Episcopal deacon and hospital chaplain. The second-eldest of three children; he grew up enjoying the blessings of a loving family while witnessing his sister Emily’s struggle to overcome the debilitating effects of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. Emily’s victory, which culminated in her graduation from seminary and her ordination as a minister – inspired Andy Barr to seek causes larger than him in which to invest his talents and energy.

Congressman Barr graduated from Lexington’s Henry Clay High School in 1992, and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Philosophy from the University of Virginia in 1996, graduating with Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa honors. He served as Legislative Assistant for U.S. Rep. Jim Talent from 1996 until 1998, staffing then-Congressman (and future Senator) Talent’s participation on Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich’s Health Care Reform Task Force. He subsequently returned to Kentucky, earning his law degree from the University of Kentucky in 2001, where he participated on the College of Law’s Moot Court National Team.

In 2004, Congressman Barr joined the administration of newly-elected Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher (who represented the Sixth Congressional District from 1998 until 2003); ultimately rising to the position of Deputy General Counsel to the Governor. Barr returned to his Lexington-based private law practice in 2007.

Congressman Barr is a 2007 graduate of Leadership Lexington, and has served on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden and Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky. He is a member of Christ Church Cathedral. He is married to the former Eleanor Carol Leavell of Georgetown, Kentucky; together, they are the proud parents of two daughters.