The 2026 Kentucky Senate election will be held on November 3, 2026. The Republican and Democratic primary elections were held on May 19. Half of the senate (all even-numbered seats) are up for election. Following the 2024 election, Republicans and Democrats held 31 and seven seats, respectively. However, the party switch of Robin L. Webb in May 2025 increased the Republican majority to 32 seats. The deadline for candidates to file was January 9, 2026.[1]

Overview

Party Candidates Votes % Seats
Opposed Unopposed Before Won After +/−
Republican 10 9 32
Democratic 10 0 6
Total 20 9 38 19 38 ±0

Retiring incumbents

One senator, a Republican, has announced his retirement, and is not running for another office.

Republican

  1. 14th: Jimmy Higdon (Lebanon): Retiring.[2]

Predictions

Source Ranking As of
Sabato's Crystal Ball[3] Safe R January 22, 2026

Summary by district

† – Incumbent not seeking re-election

District Incumbent Party Elected Party
2 Danny Carroll Rep
4 Robby Mills Rep
6 Lindsey Tichenor Rep
8 Gary Boswell Rep
10 Matthew Deneen Rep
12 Amanda Mays Bledsoe Rep
14 Jimmy Higdon† Rep
16 Max Wise Rep
18 Robin L. Webb Rep[a]
20 Gex Williams Rep
22 Donald Douglas Rep
24 Shelley Funke Frommeyer Rep
26 Karen Berg Dem
28 Greg Elkins Rep
30 Brandon Smith Rep
32 Mike Wilson Rep
34 Jared Carpenter Rep
36 Julie Raque Adams Rep
38 Michael J. Nemes Rep

Special elections

District 37 special

David Yates resigned from the senate on October 8, 2025, in order to become the county clerk of Jefferson County. A special election was held on December 16, 2025.

2025 Kentucky Senate 37th district special election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Gary Clemons 3,752 72.6
Republican Calvin Leach 1,297 25.1
Libertarian Wendy Higdon 121 2.3
Total votes 5,170 100.0
Democratic hold

District 2

Republican primary

Nominee

General election

Results

2026 Kentucky Senate 2nd district election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Danny Carroll (incumbent) Unopposed
Total votes 100.0
Republican hold

District 4

Republican primary

Nominee

General election

Results

2026 Kentucky Senate 4th district election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Robert M. "Robby" Mills (incumbent) Unopposed
Total votes 100.0
Republican hold

District 6

Republican primary

Nominee

Democratic primary

Nominee

  • Christian Furman, physician

Eliminated in primary

  • Chaz Stoess

Endorsements

Christian Furman

Organizations

Results

Democratic primary results[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Christian Furman 8,425 76.5
Democratic Chaz Stoess 2,591 23.5
Total votes 11,016 100.0

General election

Results

2026 Kentucky Senate 6th district election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Lindsey Tichenor (incumbent)
Democratic Christian Furman
Total votes 100.0

District 8

Republican primary

Nominee

Democratic primary

Nominee

  • Vicki Quisenberry

District 10

Republican primary

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Results

Republican primary results[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Matt Deneen (incumbent) 6,872 83.1
Republican Louis Grider 1,394 16.9
Total votes 8,266 100.0

Democratic primary

Nominee

  • Christopher Gatrost

District 12

Republican primary

Nominee

Democratic primary

Nominee

  • Tyler K. Dean

District 14

Republican primary

Nominee

  • Ben Mudd, pharmacist

Eliminated in primary

Declined

Endorsements

Dallas Robinson

Organizations

Results

Republican primary results[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ben Mudd 4,122 30.0
Republican Dallas Robinson 3,759 27.3
Republican James Victery 2,088 15.2
Republican Stephen Carney 1,576 11.5
Republican Lynn Shelburne 1,390 10.1
Republican Brian Bayers 452 3.3
Republican Peggy Brady Smith 368 2.7
Total votes 13,755 100.0

Democratic primary

Nominee

  • Carrie Gribbins Truitt, member of the Marion County Board of Education (2017–present)

Eliminated in primary

  • Malcolm W. Jones

Results

Democratic primary results[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Carrie Gribbins Truitt 6,808 73.4
Democratic Malcolm W. Jones 2,469 26.6
Total votes 9,277 100.0

District 16

Republican primary

Nominee

District 18

Republican primary

Nominee

District 20

Republican primary

Nominee

Democratic primary

Nominee

  • Stella R. Pollard

District 22

Republican primary

Nominee

District 24

Republican primary

Nominee

Democratic primary

Nominee

  • Joshua Baker

District 26

Democratic primary

Nominee

Republican primary

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Results

Republican primary results[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Everett C. Corley 4,960 82.4
Republican Sheeba Jolly 1,058 17.6
Total votes 6,018 100.0

District 28

Republican primary

Nominee

District 30

Republican primary

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Endorsements

Brandon D. Smith

Organizations

Results

Republican primary results[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Brandon D. Smith (incumbent) 7,275 53.8
Republican Billy Wesley 6,248 46.2
Total votes 13,523 100.0

District 32

Republican primary

Nominee

District 34

Republican primary

Nominee

Democratic primary

Nominee

  • Jessica D. McIntosh

District 36

Republican primary

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

  • David J. Farley

Endorsements

Julie Raque Adams

Organizations

Results

Republican primary results[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Julie Raque Adams (incumbent) 9,126 80.4
Republican David J. Farley 2,220 19.6
Total votes 11,346 100.0

Democratic primary

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Results

Democratic primary results[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Sarah Cole McIntosh 7,411 57.9
Democratic Luke Whitehead 5,391 42.1
Total votes 12,802 100.0

District 38

Republican primary

Nominee

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Switched parties in May 2025.[4]
  2. ↑ Candidate for sheriff of Hardin County in 2010, 2014, 2018; candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2020.
  3. ↑ Candidate for this district in 2022, the 43rd house district in 2018, and Kentucky's 3rd congressional district in 2016.

References

Candidate names throughout this article are those certified to appear on the primary or general election ballots.[11][12]

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ Jacobson, Louis (January 22, 2026). "Handicapping The 2026 State Legislative Map: A First Look". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
  3. ↑ Pinski, Hannah (May 30, 2025). "Last rural Democrat in Kentucky senate leaves party, growing GOP supermajority". The Courier Journal. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Endorsed candidates: state legislative & municipal". 314 Action. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  5. ↑ "KY Primary Election Tuesday, May 19, 2026 - C-FAIR Endorsements". The Fairness Campaign. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Official 2026 Primary Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky Secretary of State. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Kentucky Right to Life Voter Guide". Kentucky Right to Life. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  8. 1 2 Kelly, Amanda (April 20, 2026). "Kentucky Chamber PAC Announces Endorsed Candidates in 2026 Primary Elections". The Bottom Line News. Frankfort, Kentucky. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  9. ↑ "NRA-PVF | Grades | Kentucky". NRA Political Victory Fund. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  10. ↑ "2026 Primary Election Candidates: Kentucky Senate". Kentucky Secretary of State. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
  11. ↑ Pinski, Hannah (January 12, 2026). "Elections 2026: Meet the candidates for Kentucky state House, Senate seats". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved February 7, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Kentucky_Senate_election