It’s the 12 Days of Ballotpedia! Your gift powers the trusted, unbiased information voters need heading into 2026. Donate now!
Karen Berg
Karen Berg (Democratic Party) is a member of the Kentucky State Senate, representing District 26. She assumed office on July 13, 2020. Her current term ends on January 1, 2027.
Berg (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Kentucky State Senate to represent District 26. She won in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Biography
Karen Berg graduated from Graduate Central High School in Louisville. She earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Kentucky and a M.D. from the University of Louisville. Berg's career experience includes working as a diagnostic radiologist.[1]
Committee assignments
2025-2026
Berg was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Health and Welfare Committee
- Senate Licensing and Occupations Committee
- Senate Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection Committee
- Senate Transportation Committee
2023-2024
Berg was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Health and Welfare Committee
- Senate Judiciary Committee
- State and Local Government Committee
- Senate Transportation Committee
- Senate Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection Committee
- Judiciary Committee
- Local Government Committee
- State Government Committee
- Transportation Committee
- Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection Committee
2021-2022
Berg was assigned to the following committees:
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2022
See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for Kentucky State Senate District 26
Incumbent Karen Berg defeated James Peden in the general election for Kentucky State Senate District 26 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Karen Berg (D) | 60.5 | 28,850 | |
| James Peden (R) | 39.5 | 18,859 | ||
| Total votes: 47,709 | ||||
= 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Karen Berg advanced from the Democratic primary for Kentucky State Senate District 26.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Kentucky State Senate District 26
James Peden defeated Mark Hignite Downer and Everett Corley in the Republican primary for Kentucky State Senate District 26 on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | James Peden | 42.6 | 2,774 | |
| Mark Hignite Downer | 36.4 | 2,368 | ||
Everett Corley ![]() | 21.0 | 1,370 | ||
| Total votes: 6,512 | ||||
= 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. | ||||
2020
See also: Kentucky state legislative special elections, 2020
General election
Special general election for Kentucky State Senate District 26
Karen Berg defeated Bill Ferko in the special general election for Kentucky State Senate District 26 on June 23, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Karen Berg (D) | 57.0 | 24,771 | |
| Bill Ferko (R) | 43.0 | 18,705 | ||
| Total votes: 43,476 | ||||
= 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. | ||||
2018
- See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for Kentucky State Senate District 26
Incumbent Ernie Harris defeated Karen Berg and Jody Hurt in the general election for Kentucky State Senate District 26 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ernie Harris (R) | 51.8 | 29,625 | |
| Karen Berg (D) | 46.3 | 26,524 | ||
| Jody Hurt (Independent) | 1.9 | 1,078 | ||
| Total votes: 57,227 (100.00% precincts reporting) | ||||
= 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. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Kentucky State Senate District 26
Karen Berg defeated Matt Kaufmann in the Democratic primary for Kentucky State Senate District 26 on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Karen Berg | 67.3 | 7,112 | |
| Matt Kaufmann | 32.7 | 3,451 | ||
| Total votes: 10,563 | ||||
= 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. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Kentucky State Senate District 26
Incumbent Ernie Harris defeated Alex White in the Republican primary for Kentucky State Senate District 26 on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ernie Harris | 52.2 | 5,193 | |
| Alex White | 47.8 | 4,750 | ||
| Total votes: 9,943 | ||||
= 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
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Karen Berg did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Karen Berg did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
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.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Kentucky scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2024
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2024, the Kentucky State Legislature was in session from January 2 to April 15.
|
2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2023, the Kentucky State Legislature was in session from January 3 to March 30.
|
2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2022, the Kentucky State Legislature was in session from January 4 to April 14.
|
2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2021, the Kentucky State Legislature was in session from January 5 to March 30.
|
2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2020, the Kentucky State Legislature was in session from January 7 to April 15.
|
See also
2022 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Kentucky State Senate District 26 |
Officeholder Kentucky State Senate District 26 |
Personal |
Footnotes
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Kentucky State Senate District 26 2020-Present |
Succeeded by - |
= candidate completed the