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Democratic Party primaries in Kentucky, 2026
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U.S. Senate • U.S. House • State Senate • State House • Supreme court • How to run for office |
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| Democratic Party primaries, 2026 |
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| Primary Date |
| May 19, 2026 |
| Federal elections |
| Democratic primaries for U.S. House |
| State party |
| Democratic Party of Kentucky |
| State political party revenue |
This page focuses on the Democratic primaries that will take place in Kentucky on May 19, 2026.
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Kentucky utilizes a closed primary process, in which only registered party members can participate.[1]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Federal elections
U.S. Senate
A Democratic Party primary takes place on May 19, 2026, in Kentucky to determine which Democratic candidate will run in the state's general election on November 3, 2026.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Kentucky
Logan Forsythe, Jared Randall, Pamela Stevenson, Vincent Thompson, and Joel Willett are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Kentucky on May 19, 2026.
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 = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
U.S. House
District 1
Democratic primary candidatesNote: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection surveyDistrict 2
Democratic primary candidatesNote: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection surveyDistrict 3
Democratic primary candidatesNote: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
- Morgan McGarvey (Incumbent)
District 4
Democratic primary candidatesNote: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection surveyDistrict 5
Democratic primary candidatesNote: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
District 6
Democratic primary candidatesNote: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
State elections
State Senate
- See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2026
Kentucky State Senate elections, 2026 |
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| Office | Democratic |
 Republican |
Other |
| District 2 | |||
| District 4 |
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Robby Mills (i) |
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| District 6 |
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Lindsey Tichenor (i) |
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| District 8 |
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Gary Boswell (i) |
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| District 10 |
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Matthew Deneen (i) |
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| District 12 |
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| District 14 |
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Stephen Carney Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 16 | |||
| District 18 | |||
| District 20 |
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Gex Williams (i) |
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| District 22 |
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Donald Douglas (i) |
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| District 24 |
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| District 26 | |||
| District 28 |
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Greg Elkins (i) |
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| District 30 | |||
| District 32 |
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Mike Wilson (i) |
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| District 34 |
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Jared Carpenter (i) |
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| District 36 |
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| District 38 |
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House of Representatives
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Kentucky
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
Context of the 2026 elections
Kentucky Party Control: 1992-2025
Eight years of Democratic trifectas • Three years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
State party overview
Democratic Party of Kentucky
- See also: Democratic Party of Kentucky
State political party revenue
State political parties typically deposit revenue in separate state and federal accounts in order to comply with state and federal campaign finance laws.
The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following map displays total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic state party affiliates.
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
One of 120 Kentucky counties—0.83 percent—is a pivot county. Pivot counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 pivot counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
| Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
| Elliott County, Kentucky | 44.13% | 2.50% | 25.17% | ||||
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Kentucky with 62.5 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 32.7 percent. In presidential elections between 1792 and 2016, Kentucky voted Democratic 45.6 percent of the time and Republican 26.3 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Kentucky voted Republican all five times.[2]
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Kentucky. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[3][4]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 18 out of 100 state House districts in Kentucky with an average margin of victory of 24.5 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 18 out of 100 state House districts in Kentucky with an average margin of victory of 25 points. Clinton won one district controlled by a Republican heading into the 2018 elections. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 82 out of 100 state House districts in Kentucky with an average margin of victory of 32.8 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 82 out of 100 state House districts in Kentucky with an average margin of victory of 42 points. Trump won 20 districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections. |
| 2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 28.28% | 70.29% | R+42 | 21.07% | 75.71% | R+54.6 | R |
| 2 | 28.39% | 70.02% | R+41.6 | 19.66% | 76.54% | R+56.9 | R |
| 3 | 40.47% | 57.82% | R+17.3 | 36.33% | 58.93% | R+22.6 | D |
| 4 | 28.50% | 70.01% | R+41.5 | 19.59% | 76.79% | R+57.2 | R |
| 5 | 34.38% | 63.66% | R+29.3 | 28.15% | 66.52% | R+38.4 | R |
| 6 | 32.05% | 66.22% | R+34.2 | 22.63% | 73.37% | R+50.7 | D |
| 7 | 34.35% | 64.05% | R+29.7 | 25.60% | 69.99% | R+44.4 | R |
| 8 | 45.14% | 53.78% | R+8.6 | 40.22% | 56.32% | R+16.1 | R |
| 9 | 29.19% | 69.46% | R+40.3 | 22.92% | 73.34% | R+50.4 | R |
| 10 | 40.43% | 57.99% | R+17.6 | 29.06% | 66.06% | R+37 | D |
| 11 | 43.65% | 55.17% | R+11.5 | 34.91% | 60.53% | R+25.6 | R |
| 12 | 31.04% | 67.42% | R+36.4 | 20.94% | 75.28% | R+54.3 | R |
| 13 | 46.17% | 51.87% | R+5.7 | 39.24% | 54.05% | R+14.8 | R |
| 14 | 31.99% | 66.02% | R+34 | 22.42% | 73.01% | R+50.6 | R |
| 15 | 35.13% | 63.22% | R+28.1 | 23.89% | 72.90% | R+49 | R |
| 16 | 31.83% | 66.81% | R+35 | 24.20% | 72.59% | R+48.4 | R |
| 17 | 29.65% | 69.19% | R+39.5 | 26.55% | 68.13% | R+41.6 | R |
| 18 | 30.68% | 67.92% | R+37.2 | 21.96% | 74.00% | R+52 | R |
| 19 | 36.66% | 61.97% | R+25.3 | 28.23% | 67.66% | R+39.4 | R |
| 20 | 47.55% | 50.21% | R+2.7 | 47.28% | 45.81% | D+1.5 | D |
| 21 | 29.72% | 68.87% | R+39.2 | 19.57% | 77.59% | R+58 | R |
| 22 | 30.68% | 68.01% | R+37.3 | 22.20% | 73.97% | R+51.8 | D |
| 23 | 32.54% | 65.99% | R+33.5 | 23.11% | 72.94% | R+49.8 | R |
| 24 | 35.21% | 63.25% | R+28 | 24.18% | 72.15% | R+48 | R |
| 25 | 36.11% | 62.25% | R+26.1 | 29.69% | 64.91% | R+35.2 | R |
| 26 | 32.43% | 66.01% | R+33.6 | 25.01% | 70.56% | R+45.6 | R |
| 27 | 42.17% | 56.05% | R+13.9 | 30.64% | 64.67% | R+34 | D |
| 28 | 44.94% | 53.71% | R+8.8 | 37.86% | 57.69% | R+19.8 | D |
| 29 | 39.17% | 59.62% | R+20.5 | 38.23% | 56.76% | R+18.5 | R |
| 30 | 71.73% | 26.98% | D+44.8 | 69.58% | 25.88% | D+43.7 | D |
| 31 | 50.04% | 48.33% | D+1.7 | 50.75% | 43.48% | D+7.3 | D |
| 32 | 43.38% | 55.29% | R+11.9 | 47.38% | 46.66% | D+0.7 | R |
| 33 | 41.13% | 57.48% | R+16.3 | 43.59% | 50.25% | R+6.7 | R |
| 34 | 59.79% | 37.94% | D+21.9 | 65.14% | 28.16% | D+37 | D |
| 35 | 56.21% | 41.52% | D+14.7 | 53.85% | 39.87% | D+14 | D |
| 36 | 32.23% | 66.72% | R+34.5 | 35.92% | 58.96% | R+23 | R |
| 37 | 49.68% | 48.67% | D+1 | 44.50% | 49.97% | R+5.5 | D |
| 38 | 54.21% | 44.14% | D+10.1 | 48.62% | 46.39% | D+2.2 | D |
| 39 | 33.35% | 64.62% | R+31.3 | 30.32% | 63.52% | R+33.2 | D |
| 40 | 67.80% | 30.82% | D+37 | 64.07% | 31.32% | D+32.8 | D |
| 41 | 76.55% | 21.94% | D+54.6 | 75.28% | 19.22% | D+56.1 | D |
| 42 | 85.66% | 12.50% | D+73.2 | 84.31% | 10.77% | D+73.5 | D |
| 43 | 76.26% | 23.02% | D+53.2 | 74.36% | 21.81% | D+52.6 | D |
| 44 | 60.58% | 38.30% | D+22.3 | 55.32% | 41.13% | D+14.2 | D |
| 45 | 37.40% | 60.69% | R+23.3 | 41.04% | 51.95% | R+10.9 | R |
| 46 | 54.38% | 44.35% | D+10 | 50.32% | 44.79% | D+5.5 | D |
| 47 | 40.04% | 58.29% | R+18.3 | 25.17% | 70.32% | R+45.2 | D |
| 48 | 41.16% | 57.55% | R+16.4 | 46.46% | 48.29% | R+1.8 | R |
| 49 | 32.77% | 65.53% | R+32.8 | 23.27% | 72.25% | R+49 | D |
| 50 | 41.07% | 57.59% | R+16.5 | 30.97% | 64.66% | R+33.7 | R |
| 51 | 26.66% | 72.21% | R+45.5 | 19.84% | 76.57% | R+56.7 | R |
| 52 | 22.27% | 76.72% | R+54.4 | 15.23% | 82.44% | R+67.2 | R |
| 53 | 30.93% | 67.34% | R+36.4 | 21.74% | 73.75% | R+52 | R |
| 54 | 30.10% | 68.30% | R+38.2 | 26.05% | 69.78% | R+43.7 | R |
| 55 | 28.09% | 70.49% | R+42.4 | 23.18% | 70.94% | R+47.8 | R |
| 56 | 42.41% | 55.60% | R+13.2 | 40.91% | 52.53% | R+11.6 | D |
| 57 | 50.60% | 47.40% | D+3.2 | 45.10% | 49.31% | R+4.2 | D |
| 58 | 35.55% | 63.19% | R+27.6 | 30.51% | 64.14% | R+33.6 | R |
| 59 | 30.49% | 67.97% | R+37.5 | 30.74% | 63.05% | R+32.3 | R |
| 60 | 27.40% | 70.85% | R+43.4 | 24.75% | 69.46% | R+44.7 | R |
| 61 | 30.41% | 68.03% | R+37.6 | 21.75% | 73.63% | R+51.9 | R |
| 62 | 37.00% | 61.15% | R+24.2 | 31.04% | 63.50% | R+32.5 | R |
| 63 | 31.20% | 66.99% | R+35.8 | 31.78% | 61.61% | R+29.8 | R |
| 64 | 31.06% | 67.21% | R+36.2 | 26.56% | 67.11% | R+40.5 | R |
| 65 | 56.23% | 41.12% | D+15.1 | 50.32% | 42.57% | D+7.8 | D |
| 66 | 28.55% | 69.70% | R+41.2 | 25.31% | 68.35% | R+43 | R |
| 67 | 48.32% | 49.06% | R+0.7 | 44.07% | 48.71% | R+4.6 | D |
| 68 | 31.30% | 66.80% | R+35.5 | 29.27% | 64.48% | R+35.2 | R |
| 69 | 38.90% | 58.93% | R+20 | 34.35% | 58.94% | R+24.6 | R |
| 70 | 35.60% | 62.91% | R+27.3 | 23.57% | 72.93% | R+49.4 | D |
| 71 | 22.53% | 75.99% | R+53.5 | 18.98% | 77.49% | R+58.5 | R |
| 72 | 40.10% | 58.03% | R+17.9 | 32.18% | 63.34% | R+31.2 | D |
| 73 | 32.99% | 65.40% | R+32.4 | 28.17% | 67.15% | R+39 | R |
| 74 | 36.76% | 61.45% | R+24.7 | 26.75% | 69.75% | R+43 | R |
| 75 | 56.44% | 40.17% | D+16.3 | 59.29% | 32.42% | D+26.9 | D |
| 76 | 54.20% | 43.37% | D+10.8 | 54.52% | 39.06% | D+15.5 | D |
| 77 | 70.90% | 26.97% | D+43.9 | 67.96% | 26.00% | D+42 | D |
| 78 | 35.41% | 62.52% | R+27.1 | 25.41% | 70.22% | R+44.8 | R |
| 79 | 52.52% | 44.89% | D+7.6 | 54.48% | 38.07% | D+16.4 | D |
| 80 | 25.27% | 73.15% | R+47.9 | 18.88% | 77.48% | R+58.6 | R |
| 81 | 41.73% | 55.80% | R+14.1 | 39.31% | 54.03% | R+14.7 | R |
| 82 | 20.17% | 78.63% | R+58.5 | 14.96% | 82.26% | R+67.3 | R |
| 83 | 18.35% | 80.19% | R+61.8 | 13.46% | 83.72% | R+70.3 | R |
| 84 | 18.79% | 79.76% | R+61 | 17.84% | 79.62% | R+61.8 | R |
| 85 | 16.98% | 81.77% | R+64.8 | 13.26% | 83.41% | R+70.1 | R |
| 86 | 21.03% | 77.60% | R+56.6 | 14.55% | 82.39% | R+67.8 | R |
| 87 | 21.56% | 76.86% | R+55.3 | 15.69% | 81.91% | R+66.2 | D |
| 88 | 37.91% | 60.16% | R+22.3 | 42.13% | 50.98% | R+8.8 | R |
| 89 | 21.00% | 77.27% | R+56.3 | 17.30% | 78.99% | R+61.7 | R |
| 90 | 14.04% | 84.43% | R+70.4 | 11.55% | 85.97% | R+74.4 | R |
| 91 | 26.26% | 71.89% | R+45.6 | 21.15% | 75.56% | R+54.4 | R |
| 92 | 26.17% | 71.86% | R+45.7 | 20.45% | 76.99% | R+56.5 | R |
| 93 | 22.68% | 75.61% | R+52.9 | 15.01% | 82.81% | R+67.8 | D |
| 94 | 20.88% | 76.88% | R+56 | 17.76% | 78.99% | R+61.2 | D |
| 95 | 30.76% | 66.72% | R+36 | 23.50% | 73.36% | R+49.9 | R |
| 96 | 33.82% | 63.97% | R+30.1 | 20.35% | 76.02% | R+55.7 | R |
| 97 | 25.32% | 72.56% | R+47.2 | 17.72% | 79.37% | R+61.6 | R |
| 98 | 39.52% | 58.63% | R+19.1 | 25.37% | 71.06% | R+45.7 | R |
| 99 | 40.29% | 57.31% | R+17 | 28.36% | 67.88% | R+39.5 | D |
| 100 | 41.11% | 56.89% | R+15.8 | 29.95% | 65.87% | R+35.9 | D |
| Total | 37.81% | 60.51% | R+22.7 | 32.69% | 62.54% | R+29.8 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Kentucky General Assembly, "Ky. Rev. Stat. § 116.055," accessed October 20, 2025
- ↑ 270towin.com, "Kentucky," accessed June 1, 2017
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
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