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Kentucky 2010 legislative election results
Senate
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| Other 2010 Election information |
Kentucky State Senate Election Results
This page contains macro-level election results and analysis for the Kentucky State Senate. For results in individual contests see our Kentucky State Senate elections, 2010 page. The following is a breakdown of the state senate before and after the election:
| Kentucky State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 1, 2010 | After the 2010 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 17 | 15 | |
| Republican Party | 20 | 22 | |
| Vacancy | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 38 | 38 | |
What You'll See on This Page
This page displays the following lists of candidates
- Incumbents who ran on November 2
- Incumbents who were defeated
- Challengers who defeated an incumbent
- Newly elected senators
- List of all winners
- Unopposed candidates
- Third party candidates
State Senate Overview:
- There were 17 incumbents who ran in the November 2 general election. Only 3 incumbents lost, and thus 14 incumbents were re-elected to the Kentucky State Senate.
- One Republican incumbent lost in the general election, while 2 Democratic incumbents lost.
- There will be 5 new senators sworn-in. Of those 5, 1 is a Democrat and 4 are Republicans
- Of the 18 seats up for election, 5 were won by Democrats and 13 by Republicans.
- Two Republican candidates were unopposed.
- Only 1 candidate ran as an independent or third party candidate in the general election.
Incumbency Analysis
Of the 1,167 state senate seats up for election in 2010, incumbents ran for 894 (76.6%) of them. Of these 894, 94 lost their re-election bids, 89 Democrats and 5 Republicans. In Kentucky, one incumbent senator did not run for re-election on the November 2 ballot, while 17 incumbents (84%) ran for re-election. Of these 17 incumbents, 3 were defeated. Two of the defeated incumbents were Democrats and one was a Republican.
Incumbents who ran on November 2
The following is a list of all of the incumbents who ran on the November 2 general election ballot:
Incumbents defeated
The following is a list of incumbents defeated on November 2:
| Candidate | Party | District |
|---|---|---|
| David Boswell | ||
| Elizabeth Tori | ||
| Mike Reynolds, Kentucky Senator |
Challengers who beat an incumbent
The following is a list of challengers who defeated an incumbent on November 2:
| Candidate | Party | District |
|---|---|---|
| Dennis Parrett | ||
| Joe Bowen | ||
| Mike Wilson (Kentucky) |
New State Senators and General Election Winners
388 new senators were elected across the country. This includes challengers who defeated incumbents as well as candidates who won open seats. Of these 388, 278 were Republicans and 110 were Democrats. In Kentucky, five new senators will be sworn-in. Of those five, 1 is a Democrat and 4 are Republicans. In the 2 open seat contests, Republicans won 2 seats while Democrats did not win any. In total, Kentucky elected 18 senators, 13 Republicans and 5 Democrats.
Newly elected senators
The following are the newly-elected members of the Kentucky State Senate:
Democratic
Republican
Open Seat Winners
The following is a list of candidates who won election in seats where no incumbent was running:
Democratic
There were no Democratic open seat winners.
Republican
Candidates who won election
The following is a list of all candidates elected to the Kentucky State Senate:
Democratic
Republican
Competitiveness
Across the nation, 1,167 state senate seats were up for election in 2010. 1,143 of those seats were partisan seats (24 seats were up for election in Nebraska's nonpartisan unicameral legislature). In 320 (28.0%) of these state senate contests, there was a major party candidate with no major party opposition. In Kentucky, two candidates (11.1% of seats) faced no major party opposition. Both candidates were Republicans.
Unopposed candidates in general election
The following candidates did not face major party competition:
Democratic
Republican
Ballot Access
Across the nation, 140 independent or third party candidates ran for state senate. In Kentucky, 1 (2.9%) of the 35 senate candidates ran as an independent or third party candidate. None won election in the November 2 general election.
Third party candidates
The following is a list of third party and independent candidates who ran in 2010:
House
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| Other 2010 Election information |
Kentucky State House Election Results
This page contains macro-level election results and analysis for the Kentucky House of Representatives. For results in individual contests, see our Kentucky House of Representatives elections, 2010. The following is a breakdown of the state house before and after the election:
| Kentucky House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 1, 2010 | After the 2010 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 65 | 58 | |
| Republican Party | 35 | 42 | |
| Total | 100 | 100 | |
What You'll See on This Page
This page displays the following lists of candidates
- Incumbents who ran on November 2
- Incumbents who were defeated
- Challengers who defeated an incumbent
- Newly elected senators
- List of all winners
- Unopposed candidates
- Third party candidates
State House Overview:
- There were 91 incumbents who ran in the November 2 general election. Only 4 incumbents lost, and thus 87 incumbents were re-elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives.
- No Republican incumbents lost in the general election, while 4 incumbent Democratic incumbent lost.
- There will be 12 new representatives sworn-in. Of those 12, 3 are Democrats and 9 are Republicans
- Of the 99 seats up for election, 58 were won by Democrats and 41 by Republicans.
- 47 candidates were unopposed, 22 Democrats and 25 Republicans.
- Only 7 candidates ran as an independent or third party candidate in the general election.
Incumbency Analysis
Of the 4,958 state house seats up for election, incumbents ran in the general election for 4,091 (79.5%) of them. Of these 4,091 incumbents, 413 lost their re-election bids, 403 Democrats and 10 Republicans. In Kentucky, 91 (91.91%) incumbents ran for re-election. Of these 91, 4 incumbent representatives were defeated. All 4 incumbents were Democrats.
Incumbents who ran on November 2
The following is a list of all of the incumbents who ran on the November 2 general election ballot:
- Steven Rudy
- Fred Nesler
- Brent Housman
- Michael Cherry (Kentucky)
- Melvin Henley
- Will Coursey
- John Arnold (Kentucky)
- John Tilley
- Myron Dossett
- David Watkins
- Jim Gooch Jr.
- James Glenn Jr.
- Brent Yonts
- Martha King
- C.B. Embry, Jr.
- Dwight Butler
- Dottie Sims
- Jody Richards
- Jim DeCesare
- Wilson Stone
- Johnny Bell
- Terry Mills
- Jimmie Lee
- Tim Moore (Kentucky)
- Jeff Greer
- Kevin Bratcher
- Thomas Burch
- Steven Riggs
- Ronald Crimm
- Mary Lou Marzian
- Jim Wayne
- Lonnie Napier
- Robert Damron
- Thomas Riner
- Reginald Meeks
- Darryl Owens (Kentucky)
- Joni Jenkins
- Stan Lee
- Lawrence Clark (Kentucky)
- Rick Rand
- Linda Belcher
- David Floyd
- John Carney (Kentucky)
- James Comer Jr.
- Mike Harmon
- Kent Stevens (Kentucky)
- Carl Rollins, II
- Derrick Graham
- W. Brad Montell
- David W. Osborne (Kentucky state representative)
- Sal Santoro
- Royce Adams
- Alecia Webb-Edgington
- Thomas Kerr
- Arnold Simpson
- Addia Wuchner
- Dennis Keene
- Joseph Fischer (Kentucky)
- Adam Koenig
- Mitchel Denham, Jr.
- John Stacy (Kentucky)
- Sannie Overly
- Don Pasley
- Richard Henderson (Kentucky state representative)
- Kelly Flood
- Ruth Palumbo
- Jesse Crenshaw
- Thomas McKee
- Susan Westrom
- Danny Ford
- Jeffrey Hoover
- Fitz Steele
- Thomas Turner (Kentucky)
- Jim Stewart III
- Rick Nelson (Kentucky)
- William Farmer Jr. (Kentucky House of Representatives)
- Marie Rader
- Ted Edmonds
- Keith Hall (Kentucky)
- Leslie Combs
- Gregory Stumbo
- Jill York
- Hubert Collins
- Tanya Pullin
- Rocky Adkins
- Kevin Sinnette
- Charlie Hoffman
- Tommy Thompson (Kentucky)
- Charles Miller (Kentucky)
- Bob DeWeese
- Dennis Horlander
- Tim Couch
Incumbents defeated
The following is a list of incumbents defeated on November 2:
| Candidate | Party | District |
|---|---|---|
| Dottie Sims | ||
| Kent Stevens (Kentucky) | ||
| Don Pasley | ||
| Charlie Hoffman |
Challengers who beat an incumbent
The following is a list of challengers who defeated an incumbent on November 2:
| Candidate | Party | District |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Meredith | ||
| Kim King | ||
| Ryan Quarles | ||
| Donna Mayfield |
New Representatives and General Election Winners
1,345 new representatives were elected across the country. This includes challengers who defeated incumbents as well as candidates who won open seats. Of these 1,345, 988 were Republicans and 357 were Democrats. In Kentucky, 12 new representatives will be sworn-in. Of those 12, 3 are Democrats and 9 are Republicans. In the 7 open seat contests, Republicans won 5 and Democrats 2. In total, Kentucky elected 99 representatives, 41 Republicans and 58 Democrats.
Newly elected representatives
The following are the newly-elected members of the Kentucky House of Representatives:
Democratic
Republican
Open Seat Winners
The following is a list of candidates who won election in seats where no incumbent was running:
Democratic
Republican
Candidates who won election
The following is a list of all candidates elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives:
Democratic
- Fred Nesler
- Michael Cherry (Kentucky)
- Melvin Henley
- Will Coursey
- John Arnold (Kentucky)
- John Tilley
- David Watkins
- James Glenn Jr.
- Brent Yonts
- Martha King
- Jody Richards
- Wilson Stone
- Johnny Bell
- Terry Mills
- Jimmie Lee
- Jeff Greer
- Thomas Burch
- Steven Riggs
- Mary Lou Marzian
- Jim Wayne
- Robert Damron
- Thomas Riner
- Reginald Meeks
- Darryl Owens (Kentucky)
- Joni Jenkins
- Lawrence Clark (Kentucky)
- Rick Rand
- Linda Belcher
- Carl Rollins, II
- Derrick Graham
- Royce Adams
- Arnold Simpson
- Dennis Keene
- Mitchel Denham, Jr.
- John Stacy (Kentucky)
- Sannie Overly
- Richard Henderson (Kentucky state representative)
- Kelly Flood
- Ruth Palumbo
- Jesse Crenshaw
- Thomas McKee
- Susan Westrom
- Rita Smart
- Fitz Steele
- Rick Nelson (Kentucky)
- Ted Edmonds
- John Short
- Keith Hall (Kentucky)
- Leslie Combs
- Gregory Stumbo
- Hubert Collins
- Tanya Pullin
- Rocky Adkins
- Kevin Sinnette
- Tommy Thompson (Kentucky)
- Charles Miller (Kentucky)
- Dennis Horlander
Republican
- Steven Rudy
- Brent Housman
- Myron Dossett
- Ben Waide
- Jim Gooch Jr.
- C.B. Embry, Jr.
- Dwight Butler
- Michael Meredith
- Jim DeCesare
- Tim Moore (Kentucky)
- Kevin Bratcher
- Ronald Crimm
- Lonnie Napier
- Stan Lee
- David Floyd
- Sara Beth Gregory
- James Comer Jr.
- Mike Harmon
- Kim King
- W. Brad Montell
- David W. Osborne (Kentucky state representative)
- Sal Santoro
- Ryan Quarles
- Alecia Webb-Edgington
- Thomas Kerr
- Addia Wuchner
- Joseph Fischer (Kentucky)
- Adam Koenig
- Donna Mayfield
- Danny Ford
- Jeffrey Hoover
- Thomas Turner (Kentucky)
- Jim Stewart III
- William Farmer Jr. (Kentucky House of Representatives)
- Marie Rader
- Jill York
- Dewayne Bunch (Kentucky)
- Julie Raque Adams
- Bob DeWeese
- Tim Couch
Competitiveness
Across the nation, 4,958 state house seats were up for election in 2010. In 1,680 (33.9%) of these state house contests, there was a major party candidate with no major party opposition. In Kentucky, 47 candidates (47.47% of all seats) faced no major party opposition. Of these 47, 22 were Democrats and 25 were Republicans.
Unopposed candidates in general election
The following candidates did not face major party competition:
Democratic
- Arnold Simpson
- Brent Yonts
- Darryl Owens (Kentucky)
- Fitz Steele
- Fred Nesler
- Jim Wayne
- Jody Richards
- John Arnold (Kentucky)
- John Stacy (Kentucky)
- John Tilley
- Kelly Flood
- Mary Lou Marzian
- Mitchel Denham, Jr.
- Reginald Meeks
- Rocky Adkins
- Royce Adams
- Steven Riggs
- Susan Westrom
- Tanya Pullin
- Wilson Stone
- Dennis Horlander
Republican
- Addia Wuchner
- Adam Koenig
- Alecia Webb-Edgington
- Brent Housman
- Danny Ford
- David W. Osborne (Kentucky state representative)
- Dwight Butler
- James Comer Jr.
- Jeffrey Hoover
- Jim DeCesare
- Jim Stewart III
- Joseph Fischer (Kentucky)
- Marie Rader
- W. Brad Montell
- Mike Harmon
- Myron Dossett
- Sara Beth Gregory
- Sal Santoro
- Thomas Kerr
- Thomas Turner (Kentucky)
- William Farmer Jr. (Kentucky House of Representatives)
- Jim Gooch Jr.
- Dewayne Bunch (Kentucky)
- Bob DeWeese
- Tim Couch
Ballot Access
In Kentucky, 7 (4.5%) of the 155 house candidates ran as independent or third party candidates.
Third party candidates
The following is a list of third party and independent candidates who ran in 2010:
National Partisan Trends
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Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan• Minnesota • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming |
| Other 2010 Election information |
National Partisan Trends
The following tables detail the partisan breakdown of national election results. These results provide context for Republican gains in Kentucky.
Incumbents who were defeated in the general election
Across the nation, only 15 Republican incumbents were defeated while 492 Democratic incumbents were defeated. In total, 507 (10.4%) of the 4,872 incumbents running in the general election were defeated. The following is a breakdown of incumbent defeats in the 2010 general election:
The following is the breakdown of incumbents who lost.
| Incumbents defeated in 2010 legislative elections | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Senate | House | Total |
| Democratic | 89 | 403 | 492 |
| Republican | 5 | 10 | 15 |
| TOTALS | 94 | 413 | 507 |
Total new legislators elected
In total, 1,733 (28.3%) new legislators were elected in 2010. Of these 1,733, 1,266 (73.1%) are Republicans and 467 (26.9%) are Democrats.
The following is the breakdown of new legislators.
| New Legislators after the 2010 legislative elections | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Senate | House | Total |
| Democratic | 110 | 357 | 467 |
| Republican | 278 | 988 | 1,266 |
| TOTALS | 388 | 1,345 | 1,733 |
Winners of Open Seats
Open seats contests made up 1,178 (19.2%) of the 6,125 seats on November 2. Of these 1,178 open seats, Republicans won 729 (61.9%) while Democrats won 449 (38.1%). Going into the election, the number of open seats formerly held by each party was quite similar. Estimates prior to the election suggest that approximately 52% of the open seats were previously held by Republicans and 48% were held by Democrats.
The following is the breakdown of open seat winners.
| Open Seat Winners in 2010 legislative elections | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Senate | House | Total |
| Democratic | 108 | 341 | 449 |
| Republican | 191 | 538 | 729 |
| TOTALS | 299 | 879 | 1,178 |
Impact on legislative majorities
- See also: Partisan balance of state legislatures
Heading into the November 2 elections, the Democratic Party held a commanding lead in state houses in the 88 legislative chambers that held elections in 2010. 52 of the 88 chambers, or nearly 60% of them, had a Democratic majority, while only 33 of them had a Republican majority. (Two chambers had an exactly equal number of Democrats and Republicans and one is officially nonpartisan.) The following is a partisan breakdown of state legislatures prior to the November 2 election:
| Partisan breakdown before the November 2010 Election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legislative chamber | 
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| State senates | 23 | 18 | 1 | 1 |
| State houses | 29 | 15 | 1 | - |
| Totals: | 52 | 33 | 2 | 1 |
As a result of the election, Republicans picked up 20 legislative chambers while Democrats lost 20. Republicans won 53 total chambers on November 2, while Democrats won only 32. The following is a partisan breakdown of state legislatures after the November 2 election:
| Partisan breakdown after the November 2010 Election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legislative chamber |
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| State senates | 16 | 25 | 1 | 1 |
| State houses | 16 | 28 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals: | 32 | 53 | 2 | 1 |
Another way to examine the data is to gauge how many chambers had gains for the Democratic Party versus the Republican Party. Using this variable, the wide-sweeping Republican victory is further amplified. Democrats bolstered their majorities in only 7 of 88 (7.96%) state chambers. These legislatures are as follows:
| State legislative chambers where Democrats gained seats on November 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| State | Chamber | Number of seats gained by Democrats |
| California | Assembly | + 2 |
| Delaware | House | + 2 |
| Hawaii | Senate | + 1 |
| Maryland | Senate | + 2 |
| Massachusetts | Senate | + 1 |
| Missouri | Senate | + 1 |
| West Virginia | Senate | + 1 |
In 7 chambers, the GOP kept their current number of seats. In one chamber, the California State Assembly, both major parties gained seats by filling 2 vacancies and defeating an incumbent independent. Overall, the Republican Party picked up legislative seats in 75 (85.2%) of the 88 legislative chambers that held elections on November 2.
Impact on State Politics
Along with the GOP capture of the U.S. House of Representatives, state Republicans gained trifectas (control of the governorship, house, and senate) in 12 states. The following is a breakdown of trifectas across the nation, before and after the 2010 election:
| Trifectas before and after the 2010 Election | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Before election | U.S. House seats | After election | U.S. House seats | Gain/loss states | Gain/loss congressional seats |
| 16 | 131 | 11 | 115 | -5 | -16 | |
| 8 | 66 | 20 | 198 | +12 | +132 | |
Before the election, 131 U.S House seats were in states with Democratic trifectas, while 66 districts were in states with Republican trifectas. After the election, Republicans trifectas control redistricting for 198 U.S. House seats while Democrats control only 115. Additionally, California, the strongest Democratic trifecta with 53 U.S. House representatives, passed propositions that take redistricting power away from state government.
