Kentucky 2015 General Election

The Green Papers: Kentucky 2015 General Election

This page is for offices up for election in 2015. Find 2016 elections here.

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Kentucky
Elections for Statewide offices and Congress
✓ Primary: Tuesday 19 May 2015
✓ General Election: Tuesday 3 November 2015

✓ Tuesday 27 January 2015 - Filing Deadline - Primary.
✓ Tuesday 19 May 2015 - Primary. Polling hours 6:00a EDT (1000 UTC) / 6:00a CDT (1100 UTC) to 6:00p EDT (2200 UTC) / 6:00p CDT (2300 UTC). Poll closing time could be rather problematic in KENTUCKY. A large chunk of the state is in Central Time [but the networks consider that "most of the polls have closed" in KENTUCKY by 6 PM Eastern Time and so, if they can, project at the same time they project INDIANA]. Central Time voters in KENTUCKY may note the networks' willingness/eagerness to project a winner as early as 6 PM Eastern Time.
✓ Tuesday 11 August 2015 - Filing Deadline - Independent/Third/Minor.
✓ Tuesday 3 November 2015 - General Election. Polling hours 6:00a EST (1100 UTC) / 6:00a CST (1200 UTC) to 6:00p EST (2300 UTC) / 6:00p CST (0000 UTC). Poll closing time could be rather problematic in KENTUCKY. A large chunk of the state is in Central Time [but the networks consider that "most of the polls have closed" in KENTUCKY by 6 PM Eastern Time and so, if they can, project at the same time they project INDIANA]. Central Time voters in KENTUCKY may note the networks' willingness/eagerness to project a winner as early as 6 PM Eastern Time.

Senators:	2	(Electoral Classes 2 and 3)
Governor:	1
2010 Census:	4,350,606	(1.40% of 309,785,186)
2012, 2016, 2020 Electoral Votes:	8	(1.49% of 538)
2012-2020 Representatives:	6	(1.38% of 435)
Capital:	Frankfort

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Kentucky State and Local Government

Kentucky 2016 Presidential Primaries, Caucuses, and Conventions:
Democrats Republicans

2015 calendar and Candidate Filings from the Secretary of State.

19 May 2015 Primary returns and recanvass from the Kentucky State Board of Elections.

3 November 2015: 2015 Primary and General Election Results.



U.S. Senate 6 year term. No Term Limit. 114^th Senate Senate Electoral Classes

Class 2		Republican	Senator Mitch McConnell • First elected: 1984; re-elected: 1990, 1996, 2002, 2008, 2014 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 3 November 2020

Class 3		Republican	Senator Rand Paul • First elected: 2010 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016 • 7 April 2015: "I am running for president to return our country to the principles of liberty and limited government."
	Candidate list

		~~Democratic~~		~~Cecil Weldon Pearson, Jr. - apparently not a candidate~~ • 6 May 2014: Filed a termination report with the FEC. • FEC S6KY00096
		Democratic		Tom Recktenwald

		Republican		James R. Gould
		*Republican*		*Senator Rand Paul* • 24 May 2013: Announced that he would seek re-election in 2016. 23 July 2013: Filed with the FEC to run the US Senate in 2016. 2 December 2014: Formally announced that he would seek re-election in 2016. 7 April 2015: "I am running for president to return our country to the principles of liberty and limited government." • FEC S0KY00156; 30 Sep 15; Tot $1,112,991; Dsb $2,597,992
		Republican		Chris Payne • FEC S4KY00166

Governor 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2011, 2015. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms, All Governors

Open		Democratic	Governor Steven L. "Steve" Beshear • First elected: 2007; re-elected: 2011 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 3 November 2015 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and cannot run for re-election. • Open Chair - At Term Limit
			Open Chair (no incumbent)
	Candidate list

		Democratic		Attorney General John William "Jack" Conway • for Lieutenant Governor: state Representative Sannie Overly.

		Republican		Matthew Griswold "Matt" Bevin • for Lieutenant Governor: Jenean Hampton.

		Independent		Drew Curtis • for Lieutenant Governor: Heather Curtis (his wife)

		Write-in		Blackii Effing Whyte • for Lt. Governor: Philip Jacobs

Lieutenant Governor 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2011, 2015. Elected on a ticket with Governor; no separate Primary for Lt Gov from Gov

Open		Democratic	Lieutenant Governor Crit Luallen • Appointed: 13 November 2014 (re: resignation of Lieutenant Governor Jerry E. Abramson [Democratic]). • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 3 November 2015 • Open Seat
	6 November 2014: Lieutenant Governor Jerry E. Abramson (Democratic) who was first elected in 2011 will resign effective 13 November 2014 to take the position of Deputy Assistant to President Barack Obama and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs in the White House. Governor Steve Beshear will appoint former state Auditor Crit Luallen as the new Lieutenant Governor. 13 November 2014: Crit Luallen sworn.

114^th U.S. House of Representatives 2-year term. Election Cycle 2016, 2018. No Term Limit. 114^th House
Partisan Composition (primary disposition): 5 Republican (1 Open, 4 Undetermined); 1 Democratic (1 Undetermined)

Incumbent - 114th Congress
CD 1		Republican	Congressman Wayne Edward "Ed" Whitfield • First elected: 1994 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016 • Open Seat - 29 September 2015: Announced he will not run for re-election.
	Candidate list - 115th Congress

		Democratic		Samuel Lewis "Sam" Gaskins • FEC H4KY01073; 30 Sep 15; Tot $1,907; Dsb $1,928

		Republican		Hickman County Attorney Jason Batts • FEC H6KY01102
		Republican		Agriculture Commissioner James R. Comer • FEC H6KY01110
		Republican		Michael J. Pape • FEC H6KY01128
		~~Republican~~		~~Congressman Wayne Edward "Ed" Whitfield - apparently not a candidate~~ • 29 September 2015: Announced he will not run for re-election. • FEC H4KY01040; 30 Sep 15; Tot $522,136; Dsb $273,396

Incumbent - 114th Congress
CD 2		Republican	Congressman Steven Brett "Brett" Guthrie • First elected: 2008 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016
	Candidate list - 115th Congress

		*Republican*		*Congressman Steven Brett "Brett" Guthrie* • FEC H8KY02031; 30 Sep 15; Tot $683,449; Dsb $537,215

Incumbent - 114th Congress
CD 3		Democratic	Congressman John A. Yarmuth • First elected: 2006 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016
	Candidate list - 115th Congress

		*Democratic*		*Congressman John A. Yarmuth* • FEC H6KY03124; 30 Sep 15; Tot $102,063; Dsb $197,516

		Republican		Larry J. West • FEC H6KY03165

Incumbent - 114th Congress
CD 4		Republican	Congressman Thomas H. Massie • First elected in special election to the 112th Congress and a concurrent regular election to the 113th Congress: 6 November 2012 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016
	Candidate list - 115th Congress

		*Republican*		*Congressman Thomas H. Massie* • FEC H2KY04121; 30 Sep 15; Tot $133,454; Dsb $98,725

Incumbent - 114th Congress
CD 5		Republican	Congressman Harold Dallas "Hal" Rogers • First elected: 1980 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016
	Candidate list - 115th Congress

		*Republican*		*Congressman Harold Dallas "Hal" Rogers* • FEC H0KY05015; 30 Sep 15; Tot $456,184; Dsb $264,861

Incumbent - 114th Congress
CD 6		Republican	Congressman Garland "Andy" Barr • First elected: 2012 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2016
	Candidate list - 115th Congress

		*Republican*		*Congressman Garland "Andy" Barr* • FEC H0KY06104; 30 Sep 15; Tot $942,238; Dsb $316,742

Secretary of State 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2011, 2015

		Democratic	Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes • Re-elected Tuesday 3 November 2015 • First elected: 2011 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 3 November 2015 • Renominated - 19 May 2015 Primary
	Candidate list

		Democratic		Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes

		Republican		former Erlanger Councilman Stephen L. "Steve" Knipper

Attorney General 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2011, 2015

Open		Democratic	Attorney General John William "Jack" Conway • First elected: 2007; re-elected: 2011 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 3 November 2015 • Open Seat - 6 May 2014: Announced his run for Governor in 2015.
			Open Office (no incumbent)
	Candidate list

		Democratic		Andy Beshear • Son of Governor Steven L. "Steve" Beshear.

		Republican		state Senator Whitney H. Westerfield

Treasurer 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2011, 2015

Open		Democratic	Treasurer L.J. "Todd" Hollenbach • First elected: 2007; re-elected: 2011 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 3 November 2015 • Open Seat - At term limit
			Open Office (no incumbent)
	Candidate list

		Democratic		state Representative Rick G. Nelson

		Republican		Allison Ball

Auditor of Public Accounts 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2011, 2015

		Democratic	Auditor of Public Accounts Adam H. Edelen • First elected: 2011 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 3 November 2015 • Renominated - 19 May 2015 Primary
	Candidate list

		Democratic		Auditor of Public Accounts Adam H. Edelen

		Republican		state Representative Mike Harmon

Commissioner of Agriculture 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2011, 2015

Open		Republican	Agriculture Commissioner James R. Comer • First elected: 2011 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 3 November 2015 • Open Seat - 19 May 2015: Ran for but lost his party's nomination of Governor. 29 September 2015: Running for Congress in CD 1 in 2016.
			Open Office (no incumbent)
	Candidate list

		Democratic		Jean-Marie Lawson Spann

		Republican		state Representative Ryan F. Quarles

Political Parties Parties appear in parenthesis and italics when a candidate receives the endorsement of a given Party and/or official sources indicate a candidate's association with a particular Party but only where the Party in question does not appear on the actual ballot as such.

Major Parties
	• Democratic (affiliates): 7 incumbents, 9 candidates
	• Republican: 8 incumbents, 17 candidates
Major Third Parties
	• Green (affiliates)
	• Libertarian
Other Third Parties
	• Justice Party
	• Right to Life
	• Unity
Independents
	• Independent: 1 candidate
Write-in/Scattered/otherwise not readily classifiable
	• Write-in: 1 candidate
Candidates running under the banner of more than one party are counted towards each party's total. A candidate who has lost a primary or is apparently no longer a candidate is not counted.

Notes

Candidates for office appear on this page in italics where 'The Green Papers' does not yet have independent confirmation from a legal election authority that the person has been officially certified to appear on the ballot.

"Apparently not a candidate" indicates that someone we once listed as a candidate for an elective office will not, in fact, be running for that office (primarily because said candidate is not listed on an official ballot provided by a jurisdiction's election authorities, where that candidate has not previously withdrawn his/her candidacy or otherwise indicated no longer [or even ever] being a candidate for that office).

Primary dates marked "presumably" and polling times marked "reportedly" are based on unofficial or estimated data (especially as regards local variations from a jurisdictionwide statutory and/or regulatory standard) and are, thereby, subject to change.

"FEC" indicates the Federal Election Commission (FEC) Campaign Finance Summary.

When available, we post each candidate's FEC identification number, the date of their most recently filed Report of Receipts and Disbursements, their "Tot" [Total Receipts (contributions received or what came in: FEC Form 3, Line 16, Column B)] and their "Dsb" [Total Disbursements (expenditures or what was spent: FEC Form 3, Line 23, Column B)]. A link is provided to the Federal Election Commission's Summary Report for those who might wish to explore the details.

If a candidate raises or spends $5,000 or less, he or she is not subject to FEC reporting requirements.

Links Links to other web sites

Constitution Links to State Constitutions
	• Kentucky Constitution.
Election Authority
	• Kentucky Registry of Election Finance
	• Kentucky Secretary of State - Elections
	• State Board of Elections
Democratic
	• Kentucky Democratic Party
	• Kentucky Democratic Party
Republican
	• Republican Party of Kentucky
Third Party
	• Justice Party of Kentucky
	• Kentucky Green Party
	• Kentucky Right to Life Association
	• Libertarian Party of Kentucky
	• The Unity Party of Kentucky
Media & others
	• Bowling Green Daily News
	• Central Kentucky News-Journal - Campbellsville
	• Jefferson Review - Louisville
	• Messenger-Inquirer - Owensboro
	• Page One - Politics in Kentucky
	• Politics1.com - Kentucky
	• State Journal - Frankfort
	• The Advocate Messenger - Danville
	• The Courier-Journal - Louisville
	• The Evansville Courier & Press
	• The Gleaner - Henderson
	• The Kentucky Post - Covington
	• The Kentucky Standard - Bardstown
	• The Ledger Independent - Maysville
	• The Ledger Independent - Maysville
	• The News-Enterprise - Elizabethtown
	• The Paducah Sun - Paducah
	• The Times Leader - Princeton
	• The Vermont Cynic
	• The Winchester Sun
	• WAVE TV - NBC - Louisville
	• WBKO TV - ABC - Bowling Green
	• WHAS TV - ABC - Louisville
	• WKYT & WYMT TV - CBS - Lexington
	• WTVQ - ABC - Lexington