Benjamin Hurley

Benjamin Hurley (Republican Party) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent Kentucky's 5th Congressional District. He is on the ballot in the Republican primary on May 19, 2026.^[source]

Hurley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Benjamin Hurley was born in Pikeville, Kentucky. He served in the U.S. Army. He earned a high school diploma from Phelps High School and attended Austin Peay State University. His career experience includes working in real estate. Hurley has been affiliated with Young Americans for Liberty.^[1]

Elections

2026

Kentucky's 5th Congressional District election, 2026 (May 19 Republican primary)

Kentucky's 5th Congressional District election, 2026 (May 19 Democratic primary)

General election

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

The primary will occur on May 19, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.

General election for U.S. House Kentucky District 5

Ned Pillersdorf, Mikel Wein, and Billy Ray Wilson are running in the general election for U.S. House Kentucky District 5 on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Ned Pillersdorf (D)
	Submit photo	Mikel Wein (Independent)
		Billy Ray Wilson (Independent) (Write-in)

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Ned Pillersdorf advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 5.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 5

Incumbent Hal Rogers, Benjamin Hurley, Brandon Monhollen, Jerry Shelton, and Kevin Smith are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 5 on May 19, 2026.

		Candidate
		Hal Rogers
		Benjamin Hurley
		Brandon Monhollen
	Submit photo	Jerry Shelton
		Kevin Smith

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Jacob Trimble (R)

Endorsements

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Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

Benjamin Hurley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hurley's responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Ben Hurley. I was born in Pikeville and raised in Phelps, Kentucky, and I’ve seen the struggles that Eastern Kentucky families have faced my entire life. I’m running for Congress because I believe our region deserves better, better jobs, stronger infrastructure, quality healthcare, and opportunities for our children to succeed. I served six years in the United States Army as an Infantryman with the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment. That experience taught me discipline, leadership, and the value of hard work, lessons I carry with me every day. I’m not a career politician, I’m a reformer, a steady hand, and a fighter for working families. I’m ready to take the grit and determination of our Appalachian heritage to Washington and make sure the voices of Eastern Kentucky are heard.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I want an infrastructure boom for Eastern Kentuckians that live in KY-5. Eastern Kentucky is falling apart and is continuing to get worse. Without direct action small towns like Phelps or Elkhorn will continue to shrink and eventually become ghost towns.
The coal industry has recessed over the last decade making the average joe unemployed. Jobs are few and far between and have caused many people to move away from Appalachia. I want to bring a variety of jobs for the working class. For too long majority of Eastern Kentuckians have lived in poverty, I want to change that.
Healthcare access has always been hard for Eastern Kentuckians. Whether its cost, distance or time delays from emergency services, this has impacted many Eastern Kentuckians lives negatively and needs to change.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Infrastructure

Jobs
Education
Healthcare

Tax Reforms

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

First Sergeant David Akers. He is a textbook example of an Army Ranger and a leader. I have the utmost respect for him as he was the reason why I joined the Army in the first place.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Elected Officials should follow the Army Values

Loyalty
Duty
Respect
Selfless Service
Honor
Integrity

Personal Courage

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

You are the voice between the people you represent of your district and the Federal Government. You are responsible for passing legislation that will benefit the people you represent. At time you have to put personal bias aside for what the majority of your district want. It is important to be both impartial and empathetic when necessary.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Improving the lives of Eastern Kentuckians by passing legislation that will have a generational impact.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

After High School, I joined the U.S. Army. I served for 6 years and was Honorably Discharged on 25 April 2025

What is your favorite book? Why?

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Superman.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I grew up poor, living in a single-wide trailer that was falling apart ever since I can remember.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

Change begins here. All bills start at the House of Representatives and move from there.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes, experience is important in any field however, people should gauge their merit based on choices in previous positions.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Political division, we as a country are divided and it is causing parties to clash on legislation that could potentially help the American people.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

I believe that 2 years a great term length and shouldn't be changed however we need term limits.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Term limits are absolutely needed. A congressman should not be able to stay in a seat for 40 years. I will push for legislation that establishes term limits.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Thomas Massie (KY-4)

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

While walking the streets of Downtown Pikeville, I talked to an old man who was in his 70s. I asked him, "What do you think Eastern Kentucky needs or needs to change?" he said that he was born and raised here, but moved to Florida and lived there for the majority of his life. He then stated that when he moved back that not much had changed since he left. He explained that there still isn't really anything here in Eastern Kentucky, and some areas actually recessed over time. He also felt that the State of Kentucky and the Federal Government don't really care for Eastern Kentucky. At the time, I was on the fence about running for Congress; however, after talking to him, I decided to commit and really try to make a difference for the people of Eastern Kentucky.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Compromise is necessary but sometimes certain things are non-negotiable

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

I see that as one of the most important responsibilities I would have if elected. For Eastern Kentucky, this means I would use that authority to make sure tax and funding decisions actually benefit our people. Too often, money gets raised from working families here and spent somewhere else. My priorities would be to channel federal resources into rebuilding our infrastructure, creating good-paying jobs, improving healthcare access, and investing in education.

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

The House should use its investigative powers to keep the government honest.

Candidates hear many personal stories from voters. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching or memorable?

While walking the streets of Downtown Pikeville, I talked to an old man who was in his 70s. I asked him, "What do you think Eastern Kentucky needs or needs to change?" he said that he was born and raised here, but moved to Florida and lived there for the majority of his life. He then stated that when he moved back that not much had changed since he left. He explained that there still isn't really anything here in Eastern Kentucky, and some areas actually recessed over time. He also felt that the State of Kentucky and the Federal Government don't really care for Eastern Kentucky. At the time, I was on the fence about running for Congress; however, after talking to him, I decided to commit and really try to make a difference for the people of Eastern Kentucky.

What is an accomplishment that you are proud of?

My military career.

What role should the United States government have in the development or use of artificial intelligence?

The truth is, AI is not going away, and it is only going to get more advanced. I believe the federal government should set safeguards to protect privacy and prevent misuse.

What legislation would you enact related to election administration in the United States?

I would support legislation that strengthens election security, increases transparency, and makes voting accessible while maintaining integrity. That means requiring voter ID in a way that is fair and consistent, modernizing election technology to prevent fraud or tampering, and ensuring that every ballot is counted accurately.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Benjamin Hurley campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2026*	U.S. House Kentucky District 5	On the Ballot primary	$0	N/A**
Grand total			$0	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Election Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

External links

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Candidate

U.S. House Kentucky District 5

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 13, 2025

[show]

Kentucky's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Mitch McConnell (R)

Rand Paul (R)

Representatives

District 1

James Comer (R)

District 2

Brett Guthrie (R)

District 3

Morgan McGarvey (D)

District 4

Thomas Massie (R)

District 5

Hal Rogers (R)

District 6

Andy Barr (R)

Republican Party (7)

Democratic Party (1)

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 13, 2025

[1]

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Benjamin Hurley

Contents

Biography

Elections

2026

General election

General election for U.S. House Kentucky District 5

Democratic primary election

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 5

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Endorsements

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2026 Elections

2025 Elections

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