While much of the nation’s attention is focused on congressional races ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3, Kentucky voters will also decide races for the General Assembly, where Republicans currently hold supermajorities in both chambers.
House members serve two-year terms, while senators serve four-year terms. Senate elections are staggered, and the 19 even-numbered Senate districts are up for election this year.
House races
All 100 Kentucky House districts are up for election this year, but only 49 have contested general election races. Of those, 43 have an incumbent candidate.
Races to watch on election night include:
- House District 45 – Fayette (part), Jessamine (part): Democratic Rep. Adam Moore faces Republican Killian Timoney, who previously held the seat, in a rematch for a district that has changed hands between the parties. Moore defeated Republican Thomas Jefferson by roughly 170 votes in 2024 after Jefferson defeated Timoney in the GOP primary. Timoney is now seeking to reclaim the seat.
- House District 38 – Jefferson (part): Democratic Rep. Rachel Roarx faces Republican Carrie Sanders McKeehan in a rematch of their 2024 contest, which Roarx won by 249 votes. McKeehan is again seeking to flip the Louisville-area district for Republicans.
- House District 95 – Floyd, Pike (part): An open seat after Democratic Rep. Ashley Tackett Laferty opted to pursue judicial office rather than seek another term in the House. Republican Tanner Hesterberg faces Democrat Johnny Ray Turner, a former state senator, in a district Democrats are seeking to retain.
In the remaining 51 House districts, candidates are running unopposed in the general election.
Of the 42 Republicans running unopposed, 39 are incumbents. Three new Republican candidates enter the general election unopposed:
- House District 52 – McCreary, Pulaski (part), Wayne: Kevin G. Jones won the primary against Michael Jonah Neal, receiving 65% of the vote. Jones is running unopposed to succeed Republican Rep. Ken Upchurch.
- House District 63 – Boone (part), Kenton (part): Cole Cuzick defeated incumbent Rep. Kim Banta by just 13 votes in the Republican primary.
- House District 74 – Bath, Menifee, Montgomery: Montgomery County Sheriff David F. Charles won the Republican primary with 65.5% of the vote, defeating Shannon Denniston and Aaron Williams.
Nine Democrats are running unopposed, six of whom are incumbents. Three new Democratic candidates enter the general election unopposed:
- House District 30 - Jefferson (part): Mitra Subedi, a high school teacher, defeated incumbent Rep. Daniel Grossberg in the May primary, winning 44.7% of the vote in a four-candidate race.
- House District 43 - Jefferson (part): Robert LeVertis Bell defeated Joi McAtee in the Democratic primary, winning 54.6% of the vote. Bell will run unopposed in November to succeed House Minority Floor Leader Rep. Pamela Stevenson, who is retiring.
- House District 44 – Jefferson (part): Kenya Wade narrowly defeated incumbent Rep. Beverly Chester-Burton by five votes in the Democratic primary.
Senate races
The 19 even-numbered Senate districts are up for election this year. However, only nine districts have contested general election races, and eight of those have an incumbent candidate.
Races to watch on election night include:
- Senate District 14 – LaRue, Marion, Nelson, Spencer, Washington: This race is for an open seat after Republican Sen. Jimmy Higdon announced his retirement. Republican Ben Mudd faces Democrat Carrie Gribbins Truitt for the seat.
- Senate District 6 – Jefferson (part), Oldham, Trimble: Republican Sen. Lindsey Tichenor faces Democratic challenger Christian Furman, a physician. The district includes a mix of suburban and rural communities.
- Senate District 36 – Jefferson (part): Republican Sen. Julie Raque Adams faces Democrat Sarah Cole McIntosh, a former Jefferson County Board of Education member. The race has attracted attention amid significant campaign spending.
Candidates in the remaining 10 districts are running unopposed. All are Republicans, with no new candidates seeking an open seat.
Constitutional amendment
There is one proposed amendment question on the ballot. If approved by voters, it would amend Kentucky’s Constitution to limit a governor’s ability to grant pardons or commute sentences during the period beginning 60 days before the general election at which the governor is elected and ending when the governor is sworn in for that term.
U.S. House races
U.S. representatives serve two-year terms. All six of Kentucky’s congressional districts will be on the ballot this year, with five incumbents seeking to retain their House seat.
Republican Rep. Andy Barr is running for the U.S. Senate, leaving the 6th Congressional District seat open. Republican Ralph Alvarado faces Democrat Zach Dembo in a closely watched race that has drawn national attention as Democrats seek to flip the seat.
U.S. Senate race
U.S. senators serve six-year terms, with elections staggered so that roughly one-third of the chamber is up for election every two years.
This year, Kentucky voters will choose a senator to replace Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, who announced that he would not seek reelection after serving seven terms.
Republican Andy Barr and Democrat Charles Booker, a former Kentucky state representative, are the major-party candidates competing for the seat.
