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Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District

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Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District
Incumbent
Assumed office: January 3, 2023

Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives is represented by Morgan McGarvey (D).

As of the 2020 Census, Kentucky representatives represented an average of 751,557 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 725,101 residents.

Elections

See also: Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District election, 2030


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


See also: Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District election, 2028


There are no official candidates yet for this election.


See also: Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District election, 2026

General election

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

General election for U.S. House Kentucky District 3

Oumou Diallo (Independent) is running in the general election for U.S. House Kentucky District 3 on November 3, 2026.

Candidate
Oumou Diallo (Independent)

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 3

Incumbent Morgan McGarvey (D) is running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 3 on May 19, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Morgan McGarvey
Morgan McGarvey

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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See also: Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024

General election

General election for U.S. House Kentucky District 3

Incumbent Morgan McGarvey (D) defeated Mike Craven (R), Daniel Cobble (Independent), and Jared Randall (D) in the general election for U.S. House Kentucky District 3 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Morgan McGarvey
Morgan McGarvey (D)
 
61.9
 
203,100
Image of Mike Craven
Mike Craven (R)
 
38.0
 
124,713
Image of Daniel Cobble
Daniel Cobble (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
27
Image of Jared Randall
Jared Randall (D) (Write-in) Candidate Connection
 
0.0
 
24

Total votes: 327,864
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 3

Incumbent Morgan McGarvey (D) defeated Geoff M. Young (D) and Jared Randall (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 3 on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Morgan McGarvey
Morgan McGarvey
 
84.1
 
44,275
Image of Geoff M. Young
Geoff M. Young  Candidate Connection
 
11.2
 
5,875
Image of Jared Randall
Jared Randall  Candidate Connection
 
4.7
 
2,491

Total votes: 52,641
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 3

Mike Craven (R) defeated Denny Ormerod (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 3 on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Mike Craven
Mike Craven
 
75.2
 
15,397
Denny Ormerod
 
24.8
 
5,074

Total votes: 20,471
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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See also: Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Kentucky District 3

Morgan McGarvey (D) defeated Stuart Ray (R) and Daniel Cobble (Independent) in the general election for U.S. House Kentucky District 3 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Morgan McGarvey
Morgan McGarvey (D)
 
62.0
 
160,920
Image of Stuart Ray
Stuart Ray (R)
 
38.0
 
98,637
Image of Daniel Cobble
Daniel Cobble (Independent) (Write-in) Candidate Connection
 
0.0
 
30

Total votes: 259,587
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 3

Morgan McGarvey (D) defeated Attica Scott (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 3 on May 17, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Morgan McGarvey
Morgan McGarvey
 
63.3
 
52,157
Image of Attica Scott
Attica Scott
 
36.7
 
30,183

Total votes: 82,340
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 3

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 3 on May 17, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Stuart Ray
Stuart Ray
 
29.5
 
9,703
Image of Rhonda Palazzo
Rhonda Palazzo
 
29.4
 
9,645
Image of Mike Craven
Mike Craven
 
19.7
 
6,488
Image of Gregory Puccetti
Gregory Puccetti  Candidate Connection
 
9.1
 
2,980
Image of Daniel Cobble
Daniel Cobble  Candidate Connection
 
4.7
 
1,539
Justin Gregory
 
3.9
 
1,293
Image of Darien Barrios Moreno
Darien Barrios Moreno  Candidate Connection
 
3.7
 
1,212

Total votes: 32,860
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

See also: Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020

General election

General election for U.S. House Kentucky District 3

Incumbent John A. Yarmuth (D) defeated Rhonda Palazzo (R) in the general election for U.S. House Kentucky District 3 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of John A. Yarmuth
John A. Yarmuth (D)
 
62.7
 
230,672
Image of Rhonda Palazzo
Rhonda Palazzo (R)
 
37.3
 
137,425

Total votes: 368,097
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

The Democratic primary scheduled for June 23, 2020, was canceled. Incumbent John A. Yarmuth (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 3 without appearing on the ballot.

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 3

Rhonda Palazzo (R) defeated Mike Craven (R) and Waymen Eddings (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 3 on June 23, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Rhonda Palazzo
Rhonda Palazzo
 
42.4
 
19,806
Image of Mike Craven
Mike Craven
 
42.1
 
19,676
Waymen Eddings
 
15.6
 
7,275

Total votes: 46,757
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Kentucky, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Kentucky District 3

Incumbent John A. Yarmuth (D) defeated Vickie Yates Glisson (R) and Gregory Boles (L) in the general election for U.S. House Kentucky District 3 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of John A. Yarmuth
John A. Yarmuth (D)
 
62.1
 
173,002
Image of Vickie Yates Glisson
Vickie Yates Glisson (R)
 
36.6
 
101,930
Gregory Boles (L)
 
1.4
 
3,788

Total votes: 278,7200
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 3

Incumbent John A. Yarmuth (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 3 on May 22, 2018.

Candidate
Image of John A. Yarmuth
John A. Yarmuth

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 3

Vickie Yates Glisson (R) defeated Mike Craven (R) and Rhonda Palazzo (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 3 on May 22, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Vickie Yates Glisson
Vickie Yates Glisson
 
49.1
 
11,240
Image of Mike Craven
Mike Craven
 
26.9
 
6,163
Image of Rhonda Palazzo
Rhonda Palazzo
 
24.0
 
5,510

Total votes: 22,913
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Previous election results


District map

2023_01_03_ky_congressional_District_03.jpg

Redistricting

2020-2021

See also: Redistricting in Kentucky after the 2020 census

Kentucky adopted new congressional district boundaries on January 20, 2022, after the general assembly overrode Gov. Andy Beshear’s (D) veto of legislation establishing the state’ new congressional map. Beshear vetoed Senate Bill 3 —the congressional redistricting legislation —on January 19, 2022. The vote to override the governor’s veto was 26-8 in the state Senate with 23 Republicans and three Democrats in favor and five Democrats and three Republicans opposed. The override vote was 64-24 in the state House, with all votes in favor by Republicans and 21 Democrats and three Republicans voting to sustain Beshear’s veto.[14][15][16]

Senate Bill 3 was introduced in the Kentucky State Senate on January 4, 2022. The Senate voted 28-4 in favor of the map on January 6 followed by the House voting 65-25 in favor on January 8.[17]

Greg Giroux of Bloomberg Government wrote that the "congressional map [is] designed to preserve a 5–1 Republican advantage in Kentucky’s U.S. House delegation." Giroux added, "The map most notably boosts Rep. Andy Barr (R), whose central 6th District in and around Lexington will become more Republican-friendly in part by transferring the state capital of Frankfort to the western 1st District of Rep. James Comer (R)."[18]

How does redistricting in Kentucky work? In Kentucky, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the state legislature. District maps may be vetoed by the governor.[19]

Guidelines adopted in 1991 stipulate that congressional districts ought to be contiguous. In addition, county lines and communities of interest should be maintained if possible. These guidelines are not statutory; consequently, they may be amended by the legislature at its discretion.[19]

The Kentucky Constitution requires that state legislative districts "be contiguous ... and preserve whole counties where possible."[19]

2020

2019_05_02_ky_congressional_district_03.jpg

2024

2023_01_03_ky_congressional_District_03.jpg

2010-2011

This is the 3rd Congressional District of Kentucky after the 2001 redistricting process.
See also: Redistricting in Kentucky after the 2010 census

In 2011, the Kentucky State Legislature re-drew the congressional districts based on updated population information from the 2010 census.

District analysis

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

2026

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is D+10. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 10 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Kentucky's 3rd the 130th most Democratic district nationally.[20]

2024

Heading into the 2024 elections, based on results from the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+9. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 9 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Kentucky's 3rd the 136th most Democratic district nationally.[21]

Daily Kos calculated what the results of the 2020 presidential election in this district would have been following redistricting. Joe Biden (D) would have defeated Donald Trump (R) 60.2%-37.9%.[22]

2022

Heading into the 2022 elections, based on results from the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+9. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 9 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Kentucky's 3rd the 136th most Democratic district nationally.[23]

Daily Kos calculated what the results of the 2020 presidential election in this district would have been following redistricting. Joe Biden (D) would have received 60.2% of the vote in this district and Donald Trump (R) would have received 37.9%.[24]

2018

Heading into the 2018 elections, based on results from the 2016 and 2012 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+6. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 6 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District the 163rd most Democratic nationally.[25]

FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 0.89. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.89 points toward that party.[26]

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. Kentucky Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings with the Office of the Secretary of State," accessed January 27, 2016
  2. The New York Times, "Kentucky Results," May 17, 2016
  3. Kentucky Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings with the Office of the Secretary of State," accessed September 6, 2016
  4. Federal Election Commission, "Michael Macfarlane," accessed October 30, 2013
  5. Kentucky Secretary of State Election, "Candidate Filings," accessed January 28, 2014
  6. Federal Election Commission, "Mark Gatton," accessed November 4, 2013
  7. Politico, "2012 Election Map, Kentucky"
  8. U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
  9. U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 2008," accessed March 28, 2013
  10. U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2006," accessed March 28, 2013
  11. U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2004," accessed March 28, 2013
  12. U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 2002," accessed March 28, 2013
  13. U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2000," accessed March 28, 2013
  14. Louisville Courier Journal, "Kentucky Democratic Party suing over Republicans' state and Congress redistricting maps," January 21, 2022
  15. Kentucky General Assembly, "Senate Bill 3," accessed January 21, 2022
  16. Louisville Courier Journal, "Claiming 'unconstitutional gerrymandering,' Beshear vetoes Kentucky redistricting plans," January 20, 2022
  17. Kentucky General Assembly, "Senate Bill 3," accessed January 21, 2022
  18. Bloomberg Government, "Kentucky Congressional Map Enacted After GOP Overrides Governor," January 20, 2022
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 All About Redistricting, "Kentucky," accessed April 29, 2015
  20. Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025
  21. Cook Political Report, "The 2022 Cook Partisan Voting Index (Cook PVI℠)," accessed January 10, 2024
  22. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2020 presidential results by congressional district, for new and old districts," accessed September 15, 2022
  23. Cook Political Report, "The 2022 Cook Partisan Voting Index (Cook PVI℠)," accessed February 6, 2023
  24. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2020 presidential results by congressional district, for new and old districts," accessed September 15, 2022
  25. Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
  26. FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018


Senators
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
Andy Barr (R)
Republican Party (7)
Democratic Party (1)