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Kentucky's 6th Congressional District election, 2026
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| Kentucky's 6th Congressional District |
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| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: January 9, 2026 |
| Primary: May 19, 2026 General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
6 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Race ratings |
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Likely Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th Kentucky elections, 2026 U.S. Congress elections, 2026 U.S. Senate elections, 2026 U.S. House elections, 2026 |
All U.S. House districts, including the 6th Congressional District of Kentucky, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. The primary is May 19, 2026. The filing deadline is January 9, 2026. For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:
- Kentucky's 6th Congressional District election, 2026 (May 19 Democratic primary)
- Kentucky's 6th Congressional District election, 2026 (May 19 Republican primary)
Candidates and election results
Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:
- Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
- Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies
General election
The primary will occur on May 19, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.
General election for U.S. House Kentucky District 6
Jay Bowman and Pete Lynch are running in the general election for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
Jay Bowman (Independent) ![]() | ||
| Pete Lynch (Independent) | ||
= 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 U.S. House Kentucky District 6
Zach Dembo, David Kloiber, Erin Petrey, and Cherlynn Stevenson are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 on May 19, 2026.
= 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 U.S. House Kentucky District 6
Ralph Alvarado, Ryan Dotson, Deanna Frazier Gordon, Adam Perez Arquette, and Greg Plucinski are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 on May 19, 2026.
= 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
- Andy Barr (R)
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.
Party: Independent
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "Jay J Bowman, I was born in Michigan and raised in Utah. There I developed a deep appreciation for nature and entrepreneurship. My father's hard work and small business success inspired me, while my mother's pursuit of education and global adventures instilled a love for learning. After starting my own business at 24, I later moved to Kentucky in the mid-90s, where I thrived as a small business owner and raised my family. Now, I seek to give back to the community that has supported me, driven by gratitude for the opportunities America has provided. I was lucky to be born in this great nation!"
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Kentucky
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Survey responses from candidates in this race
Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.
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.
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Jay Bowman (Independent)
George Washington warned against the proliferation of political parties. He believed that these parties could divide the nation. Washington told the American public that political parties would lead to politicians putting the interests of the party over the interests of the country. The two party system is broken. elect independent candidates to force dialogue and debate between Democrats and Republicans.
Your vote, my promise.
I promise to tirelessly work for the young people of Kentucky, championing common sense governance, fiscal responsibility, and a stop to wasteful spending. Our children's future is at stake, and they deserve nothing less than our full commitment. Kentucky, I will deliver on this!
Job One: Balance the Budget, Secure Our Future with my 10 / 10 PLAN.
10/10 Plan: Combine two powerful strategies for fiscal responsibility. First, a 10% budget cut across federal agencies to reduce overall spending. Implement a department head meticulous budget analysis with congressional oversite. Second, a 10% efficiency gain through AI and modernization efforts, enhancing productivity without compromising services.
The""10/10 Plan"" prioritizes cost savings while safeguarding essential services for vulnerable populations and preserving federal jobs. Key strategies include streamlining operations, eliminating redundancies, and adopting innovative technologies to optimize resource allocation.
Job Two: Pay Down the Deficit 10/10/2 Plan
Jay Bowman (Independent)
A full-time working citizen should have the means to purchase a home, a dependable car, and live without the constant worry of basic necessities. This is the essence of the American Dream.
While I do not support the notion that billionaires should not exist, I firmly believe that no billionaire should amass such wealth while their full-time employees struggle to earn a living wage.Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Jay Bowman (Independent)
Campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zach Dembo | Democratic Party | $290,050 | $61,073 | $228,977 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| David Kloiber | Democratic Party | $176,970 | $33,986 | $142,984 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Erin Petrey | Democratic Party | $65,224 | $7,337 | $57,888 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Cherlynn Stevenson | Democratic Party | $345,205 | $191,086 | $154,295 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Ralph Alvarado | Republican Party | $376,987 | $56,233 | $320,754 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Ryan Dotson | Republican Party | $324,468 | $14,773 | $309,695 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Deanna Frazier Gordon | Republican Party | $358,250 | $43,892 | $314,358 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Adam Perez Arquette | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Greg Plucinski | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Jay Bowman | Independent | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Pete Lynch | Independent | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
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Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. 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." |
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General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]
| Race ratings: Kentucky's 6th Congressional District election, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 12/2/2025 | 11/25/2025 | 11/18/2025 | 11/11/2025 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Decision Desk HQ and The Hill | Pending | Pending | Pending | Pending | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | Likely Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week. | |||||||||
Ballot access
The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Kentucky in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Kentucky, click here.
| Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| Kentucky | U.S. House | Ballot-qualified party | 2 | 500 | 1/9/2026 | Source |
| Kentucky | U.S. House | Unaffiliated | 400 | 500 | 6/2/2026 | Source |
District history
The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.
2024
2022
2020
District analysis
This section will contain facts and figures related to this district's elections when those are available.
See also
| Kentucky | 2026 primaries | 2026 U.S. Congress elections |
|---|---|---|
|
Voting in Kentucky Kentucky elections: 2026 • 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 |
Republican primary battlegrounds U.S. Senate Democratic primaries U.S. Senate Republican primaries U.S. House Democratic primaries U.S. House Republican primaries |
U.S. Senate elections U.S. House elections Special elections Ballot access |
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
