The filing deadline for candidates to run for elected office in Kentucky passed Friday afternoon, as dozens of candidates filed paperwork on the final day in Frankfort.
More than 230 candidates filed to run for the Kentucky General Assembly this year, with the large majority of them Republicans — the party almost certain to maintain its dominant supermajority in both chambers.
Democrats hold less than 20% of seats in the state legislature, and for the second consecutive election cycle did not field a candidate in the majority of districts that are currently held by Republicans.
In the House — where Democrats currently control 20 of the 100 seats — no Democratic candidate filed to run in 42 of the 80 districts currently served by Republican members.
In the Senate — where Democrats now have six of the chamber’s 38 seats — a Democratic candidate filed to run in half of the 18 GOP-held seats up for election.
Rep. Pamela Stevenson of Louisville, the floor leader of the House Democrats’ minority caucus, said the previous day that they were working hard to recruit more candidates to run this year.
“You will see more contested races,” Stevenson said. “We will grow this caucus.”
Democrats did field candidates in slightly more House races than in 2024, when Republicans also held an 80-20 supermajority. That year, Democrats left 43 Republican-held districts unchallenged, compared to 42 in 2026.
With Democrats’ membership almost entirely delegated to Louisville and Lexington after a decade of heavy losses to Republicans, the GOP even left nine of the minority’s incumbents unchallenged in very blue urban districts.
As an illustration of how many races are uncontested, there was only one candidate to file in 41 different House districts — meaning their representative has already been decided without a single vote cast.
In a press release, Republican Senate President Robert Stivers of Manchester noted that his chamber’s supermajority will remain intact, as eight of its members up for reelection will face no opponent in either the primary or general election.
“This is more than just a political milestone. It is a strong vote of confidence from Kentuckians in the direction our commonwealth is heading,” Stivers said. “That level of confidence reflects the strength of the conservative, responsible policies the Senate majority has championed for the past decade, which have delivered results and earned the trust of Kentuckians.”
House primary races feature two GOP rematches, open seats
Stevenson is one of nine House incumbents who are not running for reelection, as the Democratic leader is instead in the crowded field of candidates running for U.S. Senate to replace outgoing Mitch McConnell.
Rep. Ashley Tackett Laferty of Martin — the last Democratic state lawmaker representing an eastern Kentucky district — is instead running for judge this year. Johnny Ray Turner, a Democrat who previously served in the Senate for two decades before his defeat in 2020, filed to run for Laferty’s open seat in House District 95.
Seven Republicans in the House are not running for reelection, with each of those districts fielding multiple candidates for contested GOP primaries to take their place.
Republican primaries in the House will also feature two rematches from 2024 that were competitive and drew spending from political action committees.
Former GOP Rep. Richard Heath of Mayfield — the longtime chair of the House Agriculture committee — suffered a close and surprising upset defeat in 2024 to Kim Holloway in the GOP primary. Heath is now trying to take back his seat from Rep. Holloway, who is part of the upstart small government “liberty” wing of House Republicans.
GOP Rep. Felicia Rabourn of Pendleton is also facing a primary rematch from her 2024 challenger Mark Gilkison. Rabourn was one of several House members in the liberty wing of the party to face attack ads in 2024 from PACs supporting their more moderate opponents, though she still won by more than 500 votes.
On the Democratic side, Rep. Anne Donworth of Lexington is facing a rematch from Jamie Palumbo, who she narrowly defeated in the last election. Palumbo is the son of Ruth Ann Palumbo, who previously represented the district for 34 years before retiring in 2024.
One Democratic incumbent facing multiple primary opponents is Rep. Daniel Grossberg of Louisville, who has faced an ethics investigation and criticism from his own party over the last two years for alleged misbehavior toward women while in office. He now faces Mitra Subedi, who narrowly lost to Grossberg in the 2024 primary, as well as public school teachers Max Morely and Cassie Lyles.
Senate GOP incumbent faces House GOP member in primary
The lone retirement from the Senate this year is longtime Sen. Jimmy Higdon, a Republican from Lebanon. Many Republicans are interested in taking his spot, as seven filed to run for the district, along with two Democratic candidates.
The biggest GOP primary in the chamber will likely be the contest between two current Frankfort lawmakers. Sen. Brandon Smith of Hazard is seeking a sixth term in office, but facing a challenge from House Rep. Bill Wesley of Ravenna, who has served in that chamber since 2021.
Two Democrats have filed to run for Senate District 36 of east Louisville, who hope to take on three-term Republican Sen. Julie Raque Adams. The Democrats vying for the nomination in the GOP-leaning district are former University of Louisville basketball player Luke Whitehead and Sarah Cole McIntosh, a former member of the Jefferson County Board of Education.
Kentucky’s primary election takes place on May 19.
