 In seeking to succeed the retiring David Vitter, he faced more than twenty opponents.Vitter announced his retirement from the Senate in 2015 after losing a bid for governor to the Democrat John Bel Edwards.Kennedy's senatorial campaign was endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, the National Rifle Association, the National Right to Life Committee, the American Conservative Union, Vice President-elect Mike Pence and President-elect Donald Trump.