Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) announced the death of his top aide Thursday, describing her as “the heart and soul” of his team.
Tatum Dale had worked with the congressmen since 2012, when she graduated from the University of Kentucky, and most recently served as the campaign manager for Barr’s 2026 Senate bid to replace retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in the Bluegrass State.
“When I first ran to serve the Sixth District, Tatum Dale was one of the first people who volunteered to help,” Barr said in a statement. “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.”
Barr praised Dale for her work “helping veterans, seniors, and families throughout our district,” and 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,” the congressman wrote.
“Tatum loved her family, her faith, and her Commonwealth,” Barr continued. “She made me a better Congressman, our staff better public servants, and we will all miss her forever.”
Heartfelt tributes to the well-liked staffer poured in on social media, with some indicating 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.
Dale died on Christmas Eve, according to the Courier-Journal.
Her cause of death was not immediately clear.
