Denotra Gunther

Denotra Gunther

Nonpartisan

Candidate, Kentucky 22nd District Court 1st Division

Kentucky 22nd District Court 1st Division

Tenure

2021 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

5

Predecessor: Joseph T. Bouvier

---

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 8, 2022

Next election

November 3, 2026

Education

Bachelor's

University of South Carolina, 1983

Law

University of Kentucky College of Law, 1996

Personal

Birthplace

Georgia

Religion

Baptist

Denotra Gunther is a judge of the Kentucky 22nd District Court 1st Division. She assumed office in 2021. Her current term ends on January 4, 2027.

Gunther is running for re-election for judge of the Kentucky 22nd District Court 1st Division. The primary for this office on May 19, 2026, was canceled.

She was appointed to the court on December 10, 2021 by Gov. Andy Beshear (D) to replace Joseph T. Bouvier.

Biography

Denotra Gunther was born in Georgia. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina in 1983 and a law degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1996.

Elections

2026

See also: City elections in Lexington, Kentucky (2026)

General election

The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for Kentucky 22nd District Court 1st Division

Incumbent Denotra Gunther (Nonpartisan) is running in the general election for Kentucky 22nd District Court 1st Division on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Denotra Gunther (Nonpartisan)

---

	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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Nonpartisan primary

The primary scheduled for May 19, 2026, was canceled. Incumbent Denotra Gunther (Nonpartisan) advanced from the primary for Kentucky 22nd District Court 1st Division without appearing on the ballot.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2022

See also: City elections in Lexington, Kentucky (2022)

General election

General election for Kentucky 22nd District Court 1st Division

Incumbent Denotra Gunther won election in the general election for Kentucky 22nd District Court 1st Division on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Denotra Gunther (Nonpartisan)	100.0	31,638

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 31,638
= 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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Shannon Brooks (Nonpartisan) (Unofficially withdrew)

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Kentucky 22nd District Court 1st Division

Shannon Brooks and incumbent Denotra Gunther defeated Heather Vanderford Matics in the primary for Kentucky 22nd District Court 1st Division on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Shannon Brooks (Nonpartisan)	46.2	17,289
✔		Denotra Gunther (Nonpartisan)	39.2	14,653
	Submit photo	Heather Vanderford Matics (Nonpartisan)	14.7	5,483

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 37,425
= 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.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Denotra Gunther has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. If you are Denotra Gunther, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

Any candidate running for elected office, at any level, can complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Survey. Completing the survey will update the candidate's Ballotpedia profile, letting voters know who they are and what they stand for.  More than 26,000 candidates have taken Ballotpedia's candidate survey since we launched it in 2015. Learn more about the survey here.

Help improve Ballotpedia - send us candidate contact info.

2022

Denotra Gunther completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Gunther's responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in Augusta, GA into a career military family. After earning my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism from the University of South Carolina, I worked as a Management Analyst for the Department of Army at both Ft. Gordon, GA and Ft. Bragg, NC before relocating to Lexington. I obtained my Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1996 and commenced my legal career as a Staff Attorney for Judge Gary Payne in Fayette Circuit Court. I went on to serve for 7 years as an Assistant Fayette County Attorney under Hon. Margaret Kannensohn in both the Juvenile and General Prosecution Divisions during which I co-created the Truancy Intervention Program with the Fayette County Public Schools Pupil Personnel Office and wrote and obtained a federal grant from the Department of Justice to fund the program. In 2004, I went into private practice as a solo practitioner representing both children and adults in criminal and civil cases, including domestic relations matters. On December 9, 2021, Gov. Andy Beshear appointed me to the Fayette District Court bench to complete the unexpired term of Judge Joe Bouvier. For the last 22 years, I have been teaching Ethical and Regulatory Environment at the UK Gatton College of Business and Economics and i have also taught Criminal Trial Process as an adjunct at the J. David Rosenberg College of Law. I also served on the LFUCG Ethics Commission and was appointed to the Racial Justice and Equality Commission.

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?

• Experienced - 25 years litigating criminal and civil cases in District and Circuit Courts and currently as Judge.
• Equitable - Fair and impartial to ALL regardless of circumstances, connections, or resources.
• Compassionate - Considerate, patient, and humble servant to the community.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Equal and easy access to justice for all who come before the Courts. I believe access to justice should afford litigants right to counsel, not only in criminal cases, but also in civil matters when a person's life, liberty, or pursuit of happiness may be adversely affected, i.e. affordable housing. I also think legalizing marijuana and using the revenue to fund treatment programs and facilities for substance use disorders attributable to opioid, heroin and fentanyl abuse and addictions should be a priority. The government should also fund more mental health treatment providers to access, diagnose, and treat people pending criminal charges.

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

I looked up to my father, who was drafted into the Army shortly after his high school graduation and worked as a cook because black soldiers did not have a lot of choices for their military occupational specialty. However, my father stayed patient and took advantage of the opportunity to change his MOS to the Signal Corps where he achieved the highest non-commissioned officer rank of Command Sargeant Major and was the first black CSM of Signal Towers at Ft. Gordon, GA. My father's patience and work ethic are examples I strive to achieve every day.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I vaguely remember the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy when I was 4 years old living at Ft. Bliss in El Paso, Texas. I distinctly remember the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. as an 8 year-old living in Augusta, GA.

Is there a particular judge, past or present, whom you admire?

I admire Hon. Gary Payne, Fayette Circuit Court, my first boss after law school. He set the example of how to be a fair and respectable judge.

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

Absolutely! In order to render justice fairly and compassionately, a judge should have the ability to discern the emotions and feelings of the people who come before the Court.

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

I sought the appointment to the Fayette District Court and am running to maintain the seat because i want to continue to serve the community in a different capacity. District Court is really the "people's court" where most of the people with business are without counsel. It is an opportunity to convey a positive image for the legal profession. It is always my goal for people to feel better about the system leaving the court than they felt about it entering the building.

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.

See also

2026 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes

Kentucky courts

---

Federal courts:

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky

State courts:

Kentucky Supreme Court • Kentucky Court of Appeals • Kentucky Circuit Courts • Kentucky District Courts • Kentucky Family Court

State resources:

Courts in Kentucky • Kentucky judicial elections • Judicial selection in Kentucky