The Green Papers: Kentucky 2023 General Election
 
This page is for offices up for election in 2023. Find 2024 elections here.

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Elections for Statewide offices and Congress
✓ Primary: Tuesday 16 May 2023
✓ General Election: Tuesday 7 November 2023
Friday 6 January 2023 - Filing Deadline - Primary .
Tuesday 16 May 2023 - Primary . Polling hours 6:00a-6:00p EDT (1000-2200 UTC) / 6:00a-6:00p CDT (1100-2300 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 6 June 2023 - Filing Deadline - Independent/Third/Minor. .
Friday 27 October 2023 - Filing Deadline: Write-in intent .
Tuesday 7 November 2023 - General Election . Polling hours reportedly 6:00a-6:00p EST (1100-2300 UTC) / 6:00a-6:00p CST (1200-0000 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 
2020 Census:4,509,342 (1.46% of 309,785,186)
2024, 2028 Electoral Votes:8(0.00% of 538)
2022-2030 Representatives:6(1.38% of 435)
Capital:Frankfort
 

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Kentucky State and Local Government

Kentucky Presidential Primaries, Caucuses, and Conventions:
Democrats   Republicans


The primary is for the Democratic and Republican parties. If the nomination is uncontested, the candidate does not appear on the primary ballot.

No person shall file a statement of candidacy form for more than one public office during an election cycle.


2023 Election Calendars from the State Board of Elections.

Candidate Filings from the State Board of Elections.

16 May 2023 Primary returns from an official source, results from a media source, results from a media source.

7 November 2023 General Election General Election Returns from an official source.

 
           

U.S. Senate  6 year term. No Term Limit. 118th Senate  Senate Electoral Classes

Class 2 Republican Senator Mitch McConnell
First elected: 1984; re-elected: 1990, 1996, 2002, 2008, 2014, 2020.
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 3 November 2026
 Candidate list (2)
  Candidate Republican     Senator Mitch McConnell
FEC S2KY00012
  Candidate Independent     Scott Micheal Duncan
FEC S6KY00195

Class 3 Republican Senator Rand Paul
First elected: 2010; re-elected: 2016, 2022.
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 7 November 2028

Governor  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2019, 2023. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms, All Governors

Chair up for regular election Democratic Governor Andy Beshear
• Re-elected Tuesday 7 November 2023
First elected: 2019; re-elected: 2023.
Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 7 November 2023
The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit.
Renominated
 Candidate list (2, 1 write-in)
  Elected Democratic 694,482 52.53% Governor Andy Beshear
for Lieutenant Governor: Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman
  Candidate Republican 627,457 47.46% Attorney General Daniel Cameron
for Lieutenant Governor: Robert M. "Robby" Mills
10 May 2022: Candidate for Governor in 2023.
  Candidate Write-in 82 0.01% Brian Fishback
for Lieutenant Governor: William "Bill" Fishback
Total 1,322,021 100.00%  

Lieutenant Governor  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2019, 2023. Elected on a ticket with Governor; no separate Primary for Lt Gov from Gov

Seat up for regular election Democratic Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman
First elected: 2019; re-elected: 2023.
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 7 November 2023

118th U.S. House of Representatives  2-year term. Election Cycle 2024, 2026. No Term Limit. 118th House
Partisan Composition (primary disposition):
5 Republican (5 Undetermined);
1 Democratic (1 Undetermined)

Incumbent - 118th Congress
CD 1 Republican Member of Congress James R. Comer
First elected in a Special [re: 6 September 2016 resignation of Member of Congress Wayne Edward "Ed" Whitfield (Republican)] and General Election: 8 November 2016
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 5 November 2024
 Candidate list (1) - 119th Congress
  Candidate Republican     Member of Congress James R. Comer
FEC H6KY01110; 30 Sep 23; Tot $2,137,020; Dsb $1,448,589

Incumbent - 118th Congress
CD 2 Republican Member of Congress Steven Brett "Brett" Guthrie
First elected: 2008
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 5 November 2024
 Candidate list (2) - 119th Congress
  Candidate Democratic     Plum Springs City Commissioner William Dakota Compton
FEC H2KY02125; 30 Sep 23; Tot $1,152; Dsb $594
  Candidate Democratic     Hank Linderman
FEC H8KY02080; 30 Sep 23; Tot $0; Dsb $2,639

Incumbent - 118th Congress
CD 3 Democratic Member of Congress Morgan McGarvey
First elected: 2022.
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 5 November 2024
 Candidate list (3) - 119th Congress
  Candidate Democratic     Member of Congress Morgan McGarvey
FEC H2KY03206; 30 Sep 23; Tot $655,738; Dsb $286,048
  Candidate Democratic     Jared Randall
  Candidate Democratic     Geoffrey M. "Geoff" Young
FEC H4KY03251

Incumbent - 118th Congress
CD 4 Republican Member of Congress 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 5 November 2024
 Candidate list (2) - 119th Congress
  Candidate Democratic     Matthew "Matt" Lehman
FEC H2KY04212; 30 Sep 23; Tot $2,807; Dsb $8,770
  Candidate Republican     Member of Congress Thomas H. Massie
FEC H2KY04121; 30 Sep 23; Tot $177,071; Dsb $154,173

Incumbent - 118th Congress
CD 5 Republican Member of Congress Harold Dallas "Hal" Rogers
First elected: 1980
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 5 November 2024
 Candidate list (5) - 119th Congress
  Candidate Republican     Dana Phillip Edwards
FEC H4KY05025; 30 Sep 23; Tot $82,143; Dsb $71,015
  Candidate Republican     David Edmund "Krafty" Kraftchak, Jr.
FEC H4KY05041
  Candidate Republican     Member of Congress Harold Dallas "Hal" Rogers
FEC H0KY05015; 30 Sep 23; Tot $268,572; Dsb $183,848
  Candidate Republican     Richard Jacob "Rich" Van Dam
FEC H2KY05151; 30 Sep 23; Tot $0; Dsb $0
  Candidate Independent     Stephan "Steve" Mazur
FEC H4KY05033

Incumbent - 118th Congress
CD 6 Republican Member of Congress Garland "Andy" Barr
First elected: 2012
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 5 November 2024
 Candidate list (3) - 119th Congress
  Candidate Democratic     Maurice Randall "Randy" Cravens, II
FEC H2KY06217; 30 Sep 23; Tot $270; Dsb $2,233
  Candidate Democratic     Jonathan Richardson
  Candidate Republican     Member of Congress Garland "Andy" Barr
FEC H0KY06104; 30 Sep 23; Tot $1,492,573; Dsb $520,026

Secretary of State  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2019, 2023

Seat up for regular election Republican Secretary of State Michael G. Adams
• Re-elected Tuesday 7 November 2023
First elected: 2019; re-elected: 2023.
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 7 November 2023
Renominated
 Candidate list (2, 1 write-in)
  Elected Republican 785,237 60.60% Secretary of State Michael G. Adams
5 August 2022: Running for re-election.
  Candidate Democratic 510,090 39.36% former state Representative Charles "Buddy" Wheatley
  Candidate Write-in; (Libertarian) 517 0.04% Kenneth C. Moellman, Jr.
Total 1,295,844 100.00%  

Attorney General  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2019, 2023

Seat up for regular election
Open
Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron
First elected: 2019
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 7 November 2023
Open Seat - 11 May 2022: Candidate for Governor in 2023.
16 May 2023: Received his party's Gubernatorial nomination.
7 November 2023: Lost the Gubernatorial General Election.
 ** Open Office (no incumbent) **
 Candidate list (2)
  Elected Republican 752,692 58.01% Russell Coleman
  Candidate Democratic 544,748 41.99% state Representative Pamela "Pam" Stevenson
Total 1,297,440 100.00%  

Treasurer  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2019, 2023

Seat up for regular election
Open
Republican Treasurer Allison Ball
First elected: 2015, re-elected: 2019
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 7 November 2023
Open Seat - At Term Limit. Running for state Auditor in 2023.
16 May 2023: Received her party's nomination for state Auditor.
7 November 2023: Won the state Auditor General Election.
 ** Open Office (no incumbent) **
 Candidate list (2, 1 write-in)
  Elected Republican 735,522 57.23% Garrand County Attorney Mark H. Metcalf
  Candidate Democratic 549,461 42.76% Michael Bowman
  Candidate Write-in 155 0.01% Robert Perry
Total 1,285,138 100.00%  

Auditor of Public Accounts  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2019, 2023

Seat up for regular election
Open
Republican Auditor of Public Accounts Mike Harmon
First elected: 2011; re-elected: 2015, 2019
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 7 November 2023
Open Seat - At Term Limit.
12 July 2021: Candidate for Governor in 2022.
16 May 2023: Did not receive his party's nomination for Governor.
 ** Open Office (no incumbent) **
 Candidate list (2)
  Elected Republican 783,217 60.75% Treasurer Allison Ball
At Term Limit as Treasurer
  Candidate Democratic 505,924 39.25% Kimberley "Kim" Reeder
Total 1,289,141 100.00%  

Commissioner of Agriculture  4 year term, Election Cycle: 2019, 2023

Seat up for regular election
Open
Republican Agriculture Commissioner Ryan F. Quarles
First elected: 2015, 2019
Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 7 November 2023
Open Seat - At Term Limit
2 May 2022: Candidate for Governor in 2023.
16 May 2023: Did not receive his party's nomination for Governor.
 ** Open Office (no incumbent) **
 Candidate list (2)
  Elected Republican 763,468 59.37% former state Representative Jonathan Shell
  Candidate Democratic 522,521 40.63% Sierra J. Enlow
Total 1,285,989 100.00%  
 

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   Those parties which received electoral votes through winning a plurality of a state's [or the District of Columbia's] popular vote in any presidential election between 1984 and 2016. See Classification of Political parties.
  Democratic (affiliates): 3 incumbents, 14 candidates
  Republican: 12 incumbents, 14 candidates
Major Third Parties   Any Party, other than a Major Party, receiving a minimum of 15/100ths of 1 percent of the nationwide popular vote in any presidential election between 1984 and 2016. See Classification of Political parties.
  Libertarian: 1 candidate
Independents
  Independent: 2 candidates
Write-in/Scattered/otherwise not readily classifiable
  Write-in: 3 candidates
 
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.

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.


 


  2023 General Election Home  
 
  Gubernatorial Popular Vote by Party  
  Close Contests Summary - Decision by 2% or less  
  Contests Where No Candidate Received a Majority  
 
2023 Primaries and Runoffs for Statewide offices/Congress
  Alphabetically   --   Alphabetically with Filing Deadlines  
  Chronologically   --   Chronologically with Filing Deadlines  
  Poll Closing Times (with time zones)  
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General Election Poll Closing Times (with time zones)
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Poll Closing Times (list)
  All Elections     Primary/Special Elections     General Elections  
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  Governors     Senate     House  
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  Senators by 'Class'  
  Governors by election 'cycle'  
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  Gubernatorial Primaries at a Glance  
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  Open Governor's Chairs, Senate and House Seats (the incumbent is not running for re-election)  
  Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats with no incumbent running for them  
  Uncontested Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats (one candidate running for office)  
  Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats with multiple incumbents running for them  
  Governor's Chairs, Senate, and U.S. House Seats with only one major party candidate running for office  
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  2023 Partisan Composition by State  
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  Political Parties  
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  Senate Electoral Classes  
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  Comparative Political Party Predominance in each State, 2000 thru 2016  
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History
  Political Party Floor Leaders in the Congress of the United States  
  Dates of DIRECT PRIMARY Elections re: Major Party Nominations for Statewide and/or Federal Office  
  Length of Terms of Office of STATE Governors throughout American History  
....
  (downloads)