Everything you need to know about ranked-choice voting in one spot. Click to learn more!

Kentucky State Senate District 3

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Kentucky State Senate District 3
Incumbent
Assumed office: January 1, 2025

Kentucky State Senate District 3 is represented by Craig Richardson (R).

As of the 2020 Census, Kentucky state senators represented an average of 118,667 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 114,490 residents.

About the chamber

Members of the Kentucky State Senate serve four-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Kentucky legislators assume office the first day of January after their election.[1]

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Section 32 of the Kentucky Constitution states: "No person shall be a Senator who, at the time of his election, is not a citizen of Kentucky, has not attained the age of thirty years, and has not resided in this State six years next preceding his election, and the last year thereof in the district for which he may be chosen."[2]


Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2024[3]
SalaryPer diem
$188.22/calendar day during session for legislators whose terms began before 2023. $203.28/calendar day for legislators whose terms began after 2023.$182.60/day

Vacancies

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in the Kentucky General Assembly, a special election must be held to fill the vacant seat. The governor must call for an election if the General Assembly is not in session. The presiding officer in the house where the vacancy happened must call for an election if lawmakers are in session.[4] All nominating petitions must be filed at least 56 days before the election.[5]

DocumentIcon.jpg See sources: Kentucky Rev. Stat. § 118.730-§118.770


District map

Redistricting

2020 redistricting cycle

See also: Redistricting in Kentucky after the 2020 census

Kentucky adopted new state House district boundaries on January 20, 2022, after the general assembly overrode Gov. Andy Beshear’s (D) veto of the plan. The vote to override the governor’s veto was 24-10 in the state Senate with all votes in favor by Republicans and eight Democrats and two Republicans voting against. The override vote was 69-23 in the state House, with all votes in favor by Republicans and 22 Democrats and one Republican voting to sustain Beshear’s veto.[6] Gov. Beshear allowed the redistricting proposal for new state Senate districts to become law without his signature on January 21, 2022. That legislation had passed the state Senate on January 6, 2022, 28-4, and the state House on January 8, 2022, 67-23.[7]

Ryland Barton of National Public Radio affiliate WFPL wrote that, "The House map further divides several urban areas in the state and connects them with rural districts in surrounding areas."[8] Steve Rogers of WTVQ wrote that, "During debate on the legislative districts, especially the 100 House districts, Democrats objected that the GOP-drawn map unfairly split urban areas to the benefit of Republicans. The bill recasting the Senate’s 38 districts easily cleared the Senate, with a handful of lawmakers objecting."[9]

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.[10]

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.[10]

The Kentucky Constitution requires that state legislative districts "be contiguous ... and preserve whole counties where possible."[10]

Kentucky State Senate District 3
until December 31, 2022

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Kentucky State Senate District 3
starting January 1, 2023

Click a district to compare boundaries.

Elections

2024

See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2024

General election

General election for Kentucky State Senate District 3

Craig Richardson won election in the general election for Kentucky State Senate District 3 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Craig Richardson
Craig Richardson (R)
 
100.0
 
31,672

Total votes: 31,672
Candidate Connection = 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

The Republican primary election was canceled. Craig Richardson advanced from the Republican primary for Kentucky State Senate District 3.

2020

See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Kentucky State Senate District 3

Incumbent Whitney Westerfield defeated Amanda Billings in the general election for Kentucky State Senate District 3 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Whitney Westerfield
Whitney Westerfield (R)
 
78.4
 
29,640
Amanda Billings (L)
 
21.6
 
8,157

Total votes: 37,797
Candidate Connection = 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

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Whitney Westerfield advanced from the Republican primary for Kentucky State Senate District 3.

2016

See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2016

Elections for the Kentucky State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on May 17, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was January 26, 2016.

Incumbent Whitney Westerfield ran unopposed in the Kentucky State Senate District 3 general election.[11][12]

Kentucky State Senate District 3, General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.png Whitney Westerfield Incumbent (unopposed) 100.00% 28,655
Total Votes 28,655
Source: Kentucky State Board of Elections



Incumbent Whitney Westerfield ran unopposed in the Kentucky State Senate District 3 Republican primary.[13]

Kentucky State Senate District 3, Republican Primary, 2016
Party Candidate
    Republican Green check mark transparent.png Whitney Westerfield Incumbent (unopposed)

2012

See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2012

Elections for the office of Kentucky State Senate consisted of a primary election on May 22, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was February 7, 2012. Whitney Westerfield (R) defeated incumbent Joey Pendleton (D) in the general election. Neither candidate faced opposition in their primary.[14][15]

Campaign contributions

From 2000 to 2024, candidates for Kentucky State Senate District 3 raised a total of $1,487,425. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $106,245 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money

Campaign contributions, Kentucky State Senate District 3
Year Amount Candidates Average
2024 $36,088 1 $36,088
2020 $45,645 1 $45,645
2016 $14,050 1 $14,050
2012 $292,655 2 $146,328
2010 $46,725 1 $46,725
2008 $438,292 2 $219,146
2006 $20,020 1 $20,020
2004 $128,361 2 $64,181
2002 $0 1 $0
2000 $465,589 2 $232,795
Total $1,487,425 14 $106,245


See also

External links

Footnotes


Current members of the Kentucky State Senate
Leadership
Senate President:Robert Stivers
Majority Leader:Max Wise
Minority Leader:Gerald Neal
Senators
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
Max Wise (R)
District 17
Matt Nunn (R)
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
Republican Party (32)
Democratic Party (6)