Kentucky House of Representatives elections, 2026
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| 2026 Kentucky House Election |
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Seats up: 100 |
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Party control |
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Elections for the Kentucky House of Representatives will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026. The primary is May 19, 2026. The filing deadline was January 9, 2026.
The Kentucky House of Representatives is one of 88 state legislative chambers with elections in 2026. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.
Party control
| As of March 2026 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Members | |
| Democratic | 20 | |
| Republican | 80 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 100 | |
Candidates
Primary
Kentucky House of Representatives primary 2026 |
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| Office |  Democratic |
 Republican |
Other |
| District 1 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 2 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 3 |
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| District 4 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 5 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 6 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 7 |
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| District 8 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 9 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 10 |
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| District 11 |
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| District 12 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 13 |
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| District 14 |
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| District 15 |
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| District 16 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 17 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 18 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 19 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 20 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 21 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 22 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 23 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 24 |
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| District 25 |
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| District 26 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 27 |
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| District 28 |
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| District 29 |
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| District 30 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 31 |
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| District 32 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 33 |
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| District 34 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 35 |
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| District 36 |
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| District 37 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 38 |
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| District 39 |
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| District 40 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 41 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 42 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 43 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 44 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 45 |
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| District 46 |
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| District 47 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 48 |
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| District 49 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 50 |
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| District 51 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 52 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 53 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 54 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 55 |
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| District 56 |
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| District 57 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 58 |
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| District 59 |
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| District 60 |
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| District 61 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 62 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 63 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 64 |
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| District 65 |
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| District 66 |
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| District 67 |
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| District 68 |
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| District 69 |
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| District 70 |
Did not make the ballot: |
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| District 71 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 72 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 73 |
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| District 74 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 75 |
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| District 76 |
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| District 77 |
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| District 78 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 79 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 80 |
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| District 81 |
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| District 82 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 83 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 84 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 85 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 86 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 87 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 88 |
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| District 89 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 90 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 91 |
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| District 92 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 93 |
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| District 94 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 95 |
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| District 96 |
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| District 97 |
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| District 98 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 99 |
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| District 100 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate ConnectionGeneral election
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Kentucky
Incumbents retiring
- See also: Impact of term limits on state legislative elections in 2026
Nine incumbents did not file for re-election in 2026.[1] An average of 11 state house incumbents did not run for re-election each year from 2010 to 2024. Those incumbents are:
Primary election competitiveness
This section contains data on state legislative primary election competitiveness in Kentucky. These totals include data from all regularly-scheduled House and Senate elections. For more information about Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of state legislative elections, please click here.
Post-filing deadline analysis
The following analysis covers all state legislative districts up for election in Kentucky in 2026. Information below was calculated on Feb. 12, 2026, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.
Seventeen Kentucky state legislative incumbents face primary contests in 2026, the fewest since 13 incumbents ran in contested 2020 primaries.
Of these, 15 are contested Democratic primaries, and 25 are contested Republican primaries. For Democrats, this is a 6% decrease from 16 in 2024. Contested Republican primaries are down 4% from the 26 in 2024.
Kentucky has 40 contested state legislative primaries in 2026, down 5% from 2024.
Of these, there are 15 for Democrats and 25 for Republicans. For Democrats, this is down from 16 in 2024, a 6% decrease. Contested Republican primaries are down 4% from 26 in 2024.
In total, 231 major party candidates filed to run. Eighty-six are Democrats and 145 are Republicans. All 100 House seats and 19 of 38 Senate seats are up for election.
Ten seats are open, meaning no incumbents filed. This means newcomers will make up at least 7% of the legislature next year. The average number of open seats each cycle from 2010 to 2024 was 15.
Open seats
The table below shows the number and percentage of open seats in the Kentucky House from 2010 to 2026.[2] It will be updated as information becomes available following the state’s candidate filing deadline.
| Open Seats in Kentucky House of Representatives elections: 2010 - 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2026 | 100 | 9 (9 percent) | 91 (91 percent) |
| 2024 | 100 | 13 (13 percent) | 87 (87 percent) |
| 2022 | 100 | 14 (14 percent) | 86 (86 percent) |
| 2020 | 100 | 14 (14 percent) | 86 (86 percent) |
| 2018 | 100 | 20 (20 percent) | 80 (80 percent) |
| 2016 | 100 | 8 (8 percent) | 92 (92 percent) |
| 2014 | 100 | 7 (7 percent) | 93 (93 percent) |
| 2012 | 100 | 8 (8 percent) | 92 (92 percent) |
| 2010 | 100 | 5 (5 percent) | 95 (95 percent) |
Process to become a candidate
See statutes: Section 118.105 of the Kentucky Revised Statutes
There are three methods by which a candidate can gain ballot access in Kentucky: by political party primary, by political organization convention, and by petition. A candidate must be registered with a political party if he or she wishes to run in the political party primary. If a candidate seeks nomination by a political organization, either by petition or convention, he or she must be registered with that organization. An independent candidate must be registered as an independent in order to use that designation on his or her nominating petition.[3][4]
Political party primary candidates
A political party candidate is granted general election ballot access by winning his or her party's primary election. The candidate must file a notification and declaration form with the Kentucky Secretary of State. This form must be signed by the candidate and by no less than two registered voters from the same party as the candidate and from the same district in which the candidate is running. This form cannot be signed earlier than the first Wednesday after the first Monday in November of the year preceding the election in which the candidate is running. The notification and declaration form must be filed by 4 p.m. on the first Friday following the first Monday in January preceding the primary election. A candidate defeated at the primary election is not permitted to run in the general election, with the exception of candidates running in a presidential preference primary.[5][6][7][8]
Political organization convention candidates
A political organization candidate is nominated at his or her political organization's convention. Only registered voters of the political organization can attend and vote at the convention. The Kentucky Statutes do not stipulate the time at which a convention must be held; however, it must be held prior to the filing deadline in order to complete all necessary paperwork. The candidate must file nomination papers by the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June preceding the day fixed by law for the election of the office being sought.[9][10][11][12]
Petition candidates
Political organization, political group, and independent candidates may all run for office as petition candidates. A candidate running for state executive office or state legislative office must first file a statement of candidacy form with the Kentucky Secretary of State. This form must be filed by 4 p.m. on April 1 (or the next business day if April 1 falls on a weekend or holiday). No charge is assessed for the filing of this form. A petition signed by the candidate and by registered voters in the district from which the candidate seeks nomination must be filed with the Kentucky Secretary of State. Candidates may begin gathering signatures after the first Wednesday after the first Monday in November of the year preceding the general election in which the candidate is running.[4][9][11]
Petitions must be filed by the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June preceding the day fixed by law for the holding of regular elections for the offices sought. Signature requirements vary according to the office being sought. Examples are provided in the table below.[3][4][12]
| Signature requirements for petition candidates in Kentucky[4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Office sought | Number of signatures required | |
| Kentucky state executive office | 5,000 | |
| Member of the United States Congress | 400 | |
| Member of the Kentucky General Assembly | 100 | |
Write-in candidates
Though write-in candidates' names are not printed on the ballot, they may be written in by a voter. In order for a write-in vote to be counted, the write-in candidate must file a declaration of intent with the Kentucky Secretary of State by the fourth Friday in October preceding the general election. A candidate can be a write-in for only one office and will be considered ineligible for write-in status if he or she has already been placed on the ballot by a different method.[13]
All candidates
Any registered voter may challenge the "good faith of a candidate” at any time before the election. No specific challenge period is designated in the Kentucky Statutes.[14]
A candidate may only run for one office at a time, as his or her name cannot appear on the ballot more than once.[15]
All candidates are subject to filing fees. These fees are outlined in the table below. The Kentucky Secretary of State accepts personal checks, campaign account checks, cash, or money orders for payment of filing fees.[3][16][17]
| Filing fees for candidates in Kentucky[18] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Office sought | Filing fee | |
| Member of the United States Congress | $500.00 | |
| Governor of Kentucky | $500.00 | |
| Kentucky Attorney General | $500.00 | |
| Kentucky Secretary of State | $500.00 | |
| Kentucky Auditor | $500.00 | |
| Kentucky Treasurer | $500.00 | |
| Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture | $500.00 | |
| Kentucky Senator | $200.00 | |
| Kentucky Representative | $200.00 | |
| Write-in candidate | $50.00 | |
Qualifications
To be eligible to serve in the Kentucky House of Representatives, a candidate must be:[19]
- At least 24 years of age at the time of the election
- A citizen of Kentucky
- Resided in the state 2 years preceding the election
- Resided in the district for the last year
Salaries and per diem
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2025[20] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $203.28/calendar day for legislators elected before December 31, 2024. $221.94/calendar day for legislators elected after January 1, 2025. | $195.80/day |
When sworn in
Kentucky legislators assume office the first day of January after their election.[21]
Kentucky political history
Trifectas
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
Kentucky Party Control: 1992-2026
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 | 25 | 26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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 | 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 | R | R |
Presidential politics in Kentucky
2024
- See also: Presidential election, 2024
Presidential election in Kentucky, 2024
Candidate/Running mate |
% |
Popular votes |
Electoral votes |
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| ✔ |
 
| Donald Trump/J.D. Vance (R) |
64.5
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1,337,494 | 8 |
 
| Kamala D. Harris/Tim Walz (D) |
33.9
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704,043 | 0 | |
 
| Robert F. Kennedy Jr./Nicole Shanahan (Independent) |
0.8
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16,769 | 0 | |
 
| Jill Stein/Samson LeBeau Kpadenou (Kentucky Party) |
0.4
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7,566 | 0 | |
 
| Chase Oliver/Mike ter Maat (L) |
0.3
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6,422 | 0 | |
 
| Shiva Ayyadurai/Crystal Ellis (Independent) |
0.0
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1,015 | 0 | |
 
| Peter Sonski/Lauren Onak (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
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611 | 0 | |
 
| Claudia De La Cruz/Karina Garcia (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
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391 | 0 | |
 
| Cornel West/Melina Abdullah (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
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177 | 0 | |
| James D. Soderna/Matthew J. Trewhella (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
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14 | 0 | |
 
| Jay Bowman/De Bowman (Independent) |
0.0
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10 | 0 | |
 
| Joseph Kishore/Jerry White (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
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8 | 0 | |
| John Cheng/Wayne Waligorski (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
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5 | 0 | |
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| Billy Kelley Jr./Jason Holdeman (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
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4 | 0 | |
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| Cherunda Lynn Fox/Harlan McVay Jr. (Independent) (Write-in) |
0.0
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1 | 0 | |
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Total votes: 2,074,530 |
2020
- See also: Presidential election, 2020
Presidential election in Kentucky, 2020
Candidate/Running mate |
% |
Popular votes |
Electoral votes |
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| ✔ |
| Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R) |
62.1
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1,326,646 | 8 |
| Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D) |
36.2
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772,474 | 0 | |
 
| Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (L) |
1.2
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26,234 | 0 | |
 
| Ye/Michelle Tidball (Independent) |
0.3
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6,483 | 0 | |
 
| Brock Pierce/Karla Ballard (Independent) |
0.2
|
3,599 | 0 | |
 
| Howie Hawkins/Angela Nicole Walker (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) |
0.0
|
716 | 0 | |
 
| Brian T. Carroll/Amar Patel (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) |
0.0
|
408 | 0 | |
 
| Gloria La Riva/Sunil Freeman (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) |
0.0
|
98 | 0 | |
 
| Mark Charles/Adrian Wallace (Unaffiliated) |
0.0
|
43 | 0 | |
| Jade Simmons/Claudeliah Roze (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) |
0.0
|
29 | 0 | |
 
| Tom Hoefling/Andy Prior (Unaffiliated) |
0.0
|
20 | 0 | |
| Shawn W. Howard/Alyssa Howard (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) |
0.0
|
9 | 0 | |
| President Boddie/Eric Stoneham (Unaffiliated) |
0.0
|
7 | 0 | |
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| Timothy Stevens/Susan Congleton Fletcher (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) |
0.0
|
1 | 0 | |
|
| Kasey Wells/Rachel Wells (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) |
0.0
|
1 | 0 | |
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Total votes: 2,136,768 |
2016
- See also: Presidential election, 2016
| U.S. presidential election, Kentucky, 2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine | 32.7% | 628,854 | 0 | |
| Republican |  Donald Trump/Mike Pence |
62.5% | 1,202,971 | 8 | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson/Bill Weld | 2.8% | 53,752 | 0 | |
| Green | Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka | 0.7% | 13,913 | 0 | |
| American Delta | Roque De La Fuente/Michael Steinberg | 0.1% | 1,128 | 0 | |
| Independent | Evan McMullin/Nathan Johnson | 1.2% | 22,780 | 0 | |
| - | Write-in votes | 0% | 751 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 1,924,149 | 8 | |||
| Election results via: Kentucky Secretary of State | |||||
Kentucky presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 16 Democratic wins
- 16 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 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | R |
Redistricting following 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.[22] 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.[23]
See also
| Kentucky | State Legislative Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines a seat as open if the incumbent did not file to run for re-election or filed but withdrew and did not appear on any ballot for his or her seat. If the incumbent withdrew from or did not participate in the primary but later chose to seek re-election to his or her seat as a third party or independent candidate, the seat would not be counted as open. If the incumbent retired or ran for a different seat in the same chamber, his or her original seat would be counted as open unless another incumbent from the same chamber filed to run for that seat, in which case it would not be counted as open due to the presence of an incumbent.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Kentucky Secretary of State Website, "Candidates" accessed April 27, 2025
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Kentucky Statutes, "Section 118.315," accessed April 27, 2025
- ↑ Kentucky Statutes, "Section 118.105," accessed April 25, 2025
- ↑ Kentucky Statutes, "Section 118.125," accessed April 25, 2025
- ↑ Kentucky Statutes, "Section 118.165," accessed April 25, 2025
- ↑ Kentucky Statutes, "Section 118.345," accessed April 25, 2025
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Kentucky Statutes, "Section 118.325," accessed April 27, 2025
- ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections, "Registration" accessed April 27, 2025
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Kentucky Statutes, "Section 118.367," accessed April 27, 2025
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Kentucky Statutes, "Section 118.365," accessed April 27, 2025
- ↑ Kentucky Statutes, "Section 118.125," accessed April 27, 2025
- ↑ Kentucky Statutes, "Chapter 118, Section 176," accessed April 27, 2025
- ↑ Kentucky Statutes, "Chapter 118, Section 405," accessed April 27, 2025
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State Website, "Qualifications & Filing Fees," accessed April 27, 2025
- ↑ Kentucky Statutes, "Section 118.255,"accessed April 27, 2025
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State Website, "Candidate Qualifications and Filing Fees," accessed April 27, 2025
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Becoming a Candidate," accessed August 21, 2014
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2025 Legislator Compensation," December 2, 2025
- ↑ Kentucky Constitution, "Section 30," accessed February 10, 2021
- ↑ Kentucky General Assembly, "House Bill 2," accessed January 21, 2022
- ↑ Kentucky General Assembly, "Senate Bill 2," accessed January 21, 2022
