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

Kentucky state legislative special elections, 2021

From Ballotpedia
Revision as of 12:20, 22 October 2021 by Kelly Coyle (contribs)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to: navigation, search
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge-smaller use.png
Special state legislative • How to run for office
Flag of Kentucky.png


2022 →
← 2020
SLP badge.png
2021 State Legislative
Special Elections
Special Elections Information
Breakdown • Historical data • Elections by date
Special elections by state

Alabama • California • Connecticut • Georgia
Iowa • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine
Massachusetts • Michigan • Mississippi
Missouri • New Hampshire
New York • Oklahoma
Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • Tennessee
Texas • Virginia • Wisconsin

Other 2021 Election coverage
Filing deadlines • Statewide elections
State legislative elections
Gubernatorial elections • Ballot measures

In 2021, three special elections were called to fill vacant seats in the Kentucky General Assembly.

Click here to read more about the special elections.

Senate special elections called:

House special elections called:

How vacancies are filled in Kentucky


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.[1] All nominating petitions must be filed at least 56 days before the election.[2]

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


About the legislature

The Kentucky General Assembly consists of the lower House of Representatives and the upper State Senate. The boxes below show the partisan composition of both chambers directly before and after the November 2018 general election. For the most up-to-date numbers on partisan composition in this legislature, see here (Senate) and here (House).

Kentucky State Senate
Party As of November 3, 2020 After November 4, 2020
     Democratic Party 10 8
     Republican Party 28 30
Total 38 38
Kentucky House of Representatives
Party As of November 3, 2020 After November 4, 2020
     Democratic Party 37 25
     Republican Party 62 75
     Vacancy 1 0
Total 100 100

Special elections

Click [show] to the right of the district name for more information:

November 2, 2021

Special elections throughout the country

See also: State legislative special elections, 2021

In 2021, 66 state legislative special elections were held in 21 states. Between 2011 and 2020, an average of 75 special elections took place each year.

Breakdown of 2021 special elections

In 2021, special elections for state legislative positions were held for the following reasons:

  • 27 due to appointment, election, or the seeking of election to another position
  • 23 due to resignation
  • 4 due to a resignation related to criminal charges
  • 12 due to the death of the incumbent

Impact of special elections on partisan composition

The partisan breakdown for the special elections was as follows:

The table below details how many seats changed parties as the result of a special election in 2021. The number on the left reflects how many vacant seats were originally held by each party, while the number on the right shows how many vacant seats each party won in the special elections. In elections between 2011 and 2020, either the Democratic Party or Republican Party saw an average net gain of four seats across the country.

Note: This table reflects information for elections that were held and not the total number of vacant seats.

Partisan Change from Special Elections (2021)
Party As of Special Election After Special Election
     Democratic Party 33 33
     Republican Party 33 33
     Independent 0 0
Total 66 66

Flipped seats

In 2021, six seats flipped as a result of state legislative special elections.

Seats flipped from D to R

Seats flipped from R to D


See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Kentucky Legislative Research Commission, "Kentucky Revised Statutes," accessed February 10, 2021 (Statute 118.730)
  2. ↑ Kentucky General Assembly, "Kentucky Revised Statutes," accessed February 28, 2025 (Statute 118.770)
  3. ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "SPECIAL ELECTIONS SET FOR NOVEMBER 2," accessed August 31, 2021
  4. ↑ Casetext, "Ky. Rev. Stat. § 118.760," accessed September 13, 2021
  5. ↑ AP, "Kentucky state Senator Tom Buford dies," July 6, 2021
  6. ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "SPECIAL ELECTIONS SET FOR NOVEMBER 2," accessed August 31, 2021
  7. ↑ Casetext, "Ky. Rev. Stat. § 118.760," accessed September 13, 2021
  8. ↑ Kentucky Rep. John "Bam" Carney passes away," July 17, 2021
  9. ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "SPECIAL ELECTIONS SET FOR NOVEMBER 2," accessed August 31, 2021
  10. ↑ Casetext, "Ky. Rev. Stat. § 118.760," accessed September 13, 2021
  11. ↑ Courier Journal, "Facing criminal charges, Robert Goforth resigns post as a Kentucky lawmaker," August 24, 2021
v • e
State legislatures
Legislatures
Alabama (H, S) · Alaska (H, S) · Arizona (H, S) · Arkansas (H, S) · California (A, S) · Colorado (H, S) · Connecticut (H, S) · Delaware (H, S) · Florida (H, S) · Georgia (H, S) · Hawaii (H, S) · Idaho (H, S) · Illinois (H, S) · Indiana (H, S) · Iowa (H, S) · Kansas (H, S) · Kentucky (H, S) · Louisiana (H, S) · Maine (H, S) · Maryland (H, S) · Massachusetts (H, S) · Michigan (H, S) · Minnesota (H, S) · Mississippi (H, S) · Missouri (H, S) · Montana (H, S) · Nebraska · Nevada (A, S) · New Hampshire (H, S) · New Jersey (GA, S) · New Mexico (H, S) · New York (A, S) · North Carolina (H, S) · North Dakota (H, S) · Ohio (H, S) · Oklahoma (H, S) · Oregon (H, S) · Pennsylvania (H, S) · Rhode Island (H, S) · South Carolina (H, S) · South Dakota (H, S) · Tennessee (H, S) · Texas (H, S) · Utah (H, S) · Vermont (H, S) · Virginia (H, S) · Washington (H, S) · West Virginia (H, S) · Wisconsin (A, S) · Wyoming (H, S)
SLP badge.png
2025
2024
2023
Historical elections
2022 •  2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 • 2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005 • 2004 • 2003 • 2002 • 2001 • 2000
Features of
state legislatures
State senates
State houses
Leadership positions
Flag of Kentucky
v • e
State of Kentucky
Frankfort (capital)
Elections

What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

Government

Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy

Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Kentucky_state_legislative_special_elections,_2021&oldid=8573818"