Kentucky's 6th Congressional District election, 2024 (May 21 Democratic primary)

2026 → ← 2022
Kentucky's 6th Congressional District
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: January 5, 2024
Primary: May 21, 2024 General: November 5, 2024
How to vote
Poll times: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Voting in Kentucky
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican DDHQ and The Hill: Safe Republican Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2024
See also
Kentucky's 6th Congressional District 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th Kentucky elections, 2024 U.S. Congress elections, 2024 U.S. Senate elections, 2024 U.S. House elections, 2024 Alabama U.S. House racesAlaska U.S. House racesArizona U.S. House racesArkansas U.S. House racesCalifornia U.S. House racesColorado U.S. House racesConnecticut U.S. House racesDelaware U.S. House racesFlorida U.S. House racesGeorgia U.S. House racesHawaii U.S. House racesIdaho U.S. House racesIllinois U.S. House racesIndiana U.S. House racesIowa U.S. House racesKansas U.S. House racesKentucky U.S. House racesLouisiana U.S. House racesMaine U.S. House racesMaryland U.S. House racesMassachusetts U.S. House racesMichigan U.S. House racesMinnesota U.S. House racesMississippi U.S. House racesMissouri U.S. House racesMontana U.S. House racesNebraska U.S. House racesNevada U.S. House racesNew Hampshire U.S. House racesNew Jersey U.S. House racesNew Mexico U.S. House racesNew York U.S. House racesNorth Carolina U.S. House racesNorth Dakota U.S. House racesOhio U.S. House racesOklahoma U.S. House racesOregon U.S. House racesPennsylvania U.S. House racesRhode Island U.S. House racesSouth Carolina U.S. House racesSouth Dakota U.S. House racesTennessee U.S. House racesTexas U.S. House racesUtah U.S. House racesVermont U.S. House racesVirginia U.S. House racesWashington U.S. House racesWest Virginia U.S. House racesWisconsin U.S. House racesWyoming U.S. House racesSubmit

A Democratic Party primary took place on May 21, 2024, in Kentucky's 6th Congressional District to determine which Democratic candidate would run in the district's general election on November 5, 2024.

Randy Cravens advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 6.

All 435 seats were up for election. At the time of the election, Republicans had a 220 to 212 majority with three vacancies. As of June 2024, 45 members of the U.S. House had announced they were not running for re-election. To read more about the U.S. House elections taking place this year, click here.

In the 2022 election in this district, the Republican candidate won 62.7%-33.6%. Daily Kos calculated what the results of the 2020 presidential election in this district would have been following redistricting. Donald Trump (R) would have defeated Joe Biden (D) 54.5%-43.5%.

Candidate filing deadline	Primary election	General election
January 5, 2024	May 21, 2024	November 5, 2024

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 the selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

This page focuses on Kentucky's 6th Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:

• Kentucky's 6th Congressional District election, 2024 (May 21 Republican primary)
• Kentucky's 6th Congressional District election, 2024

Candidates and election results

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 6

Randy Cravens defeated Todd Kelly, Shauna Rudd, Jonathan Richardson, and Don B. Pratt in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 on May 21, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Randy Cravens	26.0	9,305
		Todd Kelly	25.4	9,104
		Shauna Rudd	24.1	8,627
		Jonathan Richardson	12.4	4,433
	Submit photo	Don B. Pratt	12.1	4,335

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 35,804
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Randy Cravens

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I am a husband, a dad, and a Kentuckian. I am running as a candidate in this election to offer voters a choice between another two years of stagnation and gridlock in Washington, and true progress for our Commonwealth and the nation. I am running not only because our rights, our dignity, and our privacy have been taken away, but because the futures of our children and grandchildren have been mortgaged away by this Congress for the sole purpose of a vain fight to retain political power. I am running because we must immediately take action to address a world on fire, in which we face existential crises both in nature and in geopolitics. The next Congress will be called upon to take consequential votes, the outcomes of which we may never live to see, but votes which will ensure the viability of our nation and our planet to enable future generations to continue on in pursuit of the peace that we desire today."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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I will protect the right of women to be free from government intrusion into their medical choices. I will fight to protect IVF federally for hopeful parents, and will vote to restore Roe vs. Wade as the law of the land for abortion.

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I will protect the rights of our LGBTQ+ community, to ensure that they are able to live lives in happiness, equality and with the right to enjoy a civil marriage.

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I will work to address the crisis in housing affordability by establishing federal incentives for the development of affordable housing, including the expansion of funding and eligibility for FHA, VA, and USDA Rural Housing Service mortgages. I will support legislation to allow federal buyer/builder support via either low-interest direct lending or mortgage rate buydown grants for indirect lending.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 in 2024.

Todd Kelly

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "For twenty-five years I have been a nurseryman and small business owner. I am a former co-clerk of Lexington Friend's Meeting (Quakers)"

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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Women's Health and Abortion Women should control the fate of their own health. Decisions about abortion is not the domain of politicians and demagogues.

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Folks who rely a paycheck for sustenance should not be taxed at a higher rate than people who enjoy the ownership of assets, dividends, interest and rents.

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Single payer health care would prevent health care companies from enriching themselves through the denial and rationing of care.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 in 2024.

Jonathan Richardson

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I am a proud citizen of the United States of America. I believe that just as our Constitution promises every man , woman and child in this country has the right to life , liberty and the pursuit of happiness"

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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Unity. United there's little we can not do, divided there's little we can do - JFK

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Stronger protection against inflation for all. Advocacy for increased wages and tax incentives for employers that pay livable wages

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Spread Compassion not hate.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 in 2024.

Shauna Rudd

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "Born and raised in Breathitt County to a tobacco farmer and a postal worker, I grew up in an environment full of love and support from extended family & community. I moved to Lexington to attend college, where I still live and work today. As a licensed clinical social worker, I have already spent my entire working career supporting the diverse people of Kentucky. However, in my current work I can only do so much. By sending me to DC I can impact policy and effect real change that will impact all of our lives in material ways. Because of my roots in this community, I maintain a high level of respect for our land that sustains us and our people who uplift one another. This is also why you can trust me to keep our people and communities at the center of my work. I support term limits for Congress, because not even I should have the right to overstay my welcome in the People’s House. It’s time to replace career politicians with actual civil servants ready to get to work for the people! I am Shauna for Congress, because I am Shauna for Kentucky!"

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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The heart of Kentucky has always been for hard work for fair pay. I know from my home in Breathitt County and my decade in social work that this tradition is alive and well today. However, the citizens of the Commonwealth are no longer getting our fair share. We’re working harder than ever, but we’re getting further behind. Out-of-touch CEOs and career politicians have created an economy designed to enrich themselves and leave the rest of us behind. Bringing prosperity back to our community is the center of my work for the people of the 6th district.

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The Shauna Rudd campaign will work for every Kentuckian. From Fayette to Powell, I have worked with some of our most vulnerable communities. This direct experience with the complex diversity of our district will help me to represent you all fairly and accurately. The prosperity that Kentucky has been too long denied is a direct result of decisions made by rich people out of state. They are taking our money and they aren’t giving anything back. There is more than enough money to service all of our needs, and I will fight for budgets that represent us. During my time in Congress I will strive every day for responsible spending that is citizen-focused and puts the emphasis on peace.

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For decades, politicians at every level have prioritized defense spending ahead of every other concern. It has backfired spectacularly. Our nation is crumbling and our reputation abroad has never been worse. I will stand up to this reckless spending and bring those funds back home. American taxes should be spent on the American people. I commit fully to investing and empowering our communities.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 in 2024.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Kentucky

Election information in Kentucky: May 21, 2024, election.

What was the voter registration deadline?

• In-person: April 22, 2024
• By mail: Postmarked by April 22, 2024
• Online: April 22, 2024

Was absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

No

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

• In-person: N/A
• By mail: N/A by N/A
• Online: May 7, 2024

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

• In-person: May 21, 2024
• By mail: Received by May 21, 2024

Was early voting available to all voters?

N/A

What were the early voting start and end dates?

May 16, 2024 to May 18, 2024

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When were polls open on Election Day?

6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (EST/CST)

Campaign finance

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Randy Cravens	Democratic Party	$31,687	$20,655	$14,204	As of December 31, 2024
Todd Kelly	Democratic Party	$59,681	$51,379	$0	As of May 31, 2024
Don B. Pratt	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Jonathan Richardson	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Shauna Rudd	Democratic Party	$32,964	$33,664	$0	As of November 3, 2024
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2024. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election. *** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

• District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
• Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2024 U.S. House elections in the state.
• Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
• State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.

• District map
• Competitiveness
• Presidential elections
• State party control

Below was the map in use at the time of the election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2024

This section contains data on U.S. House primary election competitiveness in Kentucky.

Kentucky U.S. House competitiveness, 2014-2024
Office	Districts/ offices	Seats	Open seats	Candidates	Possible primaries	Contested Democratic primaries	Contested Republican primaries	% of contested primaries	Incumbents in contested primaries	% of incumbents in contested primaries
2024	6	6	0	23	12	3	3	50.0%	3	50.0%
2022	6	6	1	31	12	3	5	66.7%	4	80.0%
2020	6	6	0	21	12	2	5	58.3%	4	66.7%
2018	6	6	0	28	12	5	3	66.7%	2	33.3%
2016	6	6	1	18	12	1	4	41.7%	2	40.0%
2014	6	6	0	16	12	4	0	33.3%	1	16.7%

Post-filing deadline analysis

The following analysis covers all U.S. House districts up for election in Kentucky in 2024. Information below was calculated on 2/5/2024, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.

Twenty-three candidates filed to run for Kentucky’s six U.S. House districts, including 11 Democrats and 12 Republicans. That’s 3.8 candidates per district, lower than the 5.2 candidates who ran in 2022, but higher than the 3.5 who ran in 2020.

No seats were open in 2024, meaning all incumbents ran for re-election. There was one House seat open in 2022 and another one in 2016, the only two election cycles this decade in which House seats were open.

Six candidates filed to run for Kentucky’s sixth congressional district, the most candidates who ran for a district in 2024. The candidates who ran included Republican incumbent Andy Barr and six Democrats.

Six primaries—three Democratic and three Republican—were contested, the fewest since 2016. Eight primaries were contested in 2022, and seven were in 2020.

Three incumbents—one Democrat and two Republicans—faced primary challengers. That’s fewer than 2022 and 2020, when four incumbents faced challengers, but more than 2018 and 2016, when two incumbents did.

The 4th and 5th districts were guaranteed to Republicans because no Democrats ran. Republican candidates filed to run in every district, meaning none were guaranteed to Democrats.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2024 elections, based on results from the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+9. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 9 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Kentucky's 6th the 160th most Republican district nationally.

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2020 presidential election would have been in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by Daily Kos.

2020 presidential results in Kentucky's 6th based on 2024 district lines
Joe Biden	Donald Trump
43.5%	54.5%

Inside Elections Baselines

See also: Inside Elections

Inside Elections' Baseline is a figure that analyzes all federal and statewide election results from the district over the past four election cycles. The results are combined in an index estimating the strength of a typical Democratic or Republican candidate in the congressional district. The table below displays the Baseline data for this district.

Inside Elections Baseline for 2024
Democratic Baseline	Republican Baseline	Difference
44.7	53.6	R+8.9

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Kentucky, 2020

Kentucky presidential election results (1900-2020)

• 16 Democratic wins
• 15 Republican wins

Year	1900	1904	1908	1912	1916	1920	1924	1928	1932	1936	1940	1944	1948	1952	1956	1960	1964	1968	1972	1976	1980	1984	1988	1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012	2016	2020
Winning Party	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	D	R	R	D	R	R	R	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R

See also: Party control of Kentucky state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Kentucky's congressional delegation as of May 2024.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Kentucky
Party	U.S. Senate	U.S. House	Total
Democratic	0	1	1
Republican	2	5	7
Independent	0	0	0
Vacancies	0	0	0
Total	2	6	8

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Kentucky's top four state executive offices as of May 2024.

State executive officials in Kentucky, May 2024
Office	Officeholder
Governor	Andy Beshear
Lieutenant Governor	Jacqueline Coleman
Secretary of State	Michael Adams
Attorney General	Russell Coleman

State legislature

Kentucky State Senate

Party		As of February 2024
	Democratic Party	7
	Republican Party	31
	Other	0
	Vacancies	0
Total		38

Kentucky House of Representatives

Party		As of February 2024
	Democratic Party	20
	Republican Party	78
	Other	0
	Vacancies	2
Total		100

Trifecta control

The table below shows the state's trifecta status from 1992 until the 2024 election.

Kentucky Party Control: 1992-2024
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
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
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
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

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Kentucky in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Kentucky, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2024
State	Office	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
Kentucky	U.S. House	Ballot-qualified party	2	$500.00	1/5/2024	Source
Kentucky	U.S. House	Unaffiliated	400	$500.00	6/4/2024	Source

See also

• Kentucky's 6th Congressional District election, 2024 (May 21 Republican primary)
• Kentucky's 6th Congressional District election, 2024
• United States House elections in Kentucky, 2024 (May 21 Democratic primaries)
• United States House elections in Kentucky, 2024 (May 21 Republican primaries)
• United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2024
• United States House Republican Party primaries, 2024
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2024
• U.S. House battlegrounds, 2024

External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes

[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)

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