| The Green Papers: Kentucky 2026 General Election |
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Kentucky
Elections for Statewide offices and Congress ✓ Primary: Tuesday 19 May 2026 General Election: Tuesday 3 November 2026 |
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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. Minor parties may hold conventions to nominate candidates. Write-ins are not allowed in the Primary. 2026 Election Calendar from the Kentucky State Board of Elections. Candidate Filings from the Kentucky State Board of Elections. 19 May 2026 primary returns from an official source, results from a media source., results from another media source. |
| U.S. Senate 6 year term. No Term Limit. 119th Senate Senate Electoral Classes | |||||
Class 2 Open |
Republican | Senator Mitch McConnell • First elected: 1984; re-elected: 1990, 1996, 2002, 2008, 2014, 2020. • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 3 November 2026 • Open Seat - 28 February 2024: "I turned 82 last week. The end of my contributions are closer than I prefer ... this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate ... " 20 February 2025: "Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime. I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last." |
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| ** Open Seat (no incumbent) ** | |||||
| Candidate list (4, 1 write-in) | |||||
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Democratic | former state Representative Charles Booker • FEC S6KY00385; 29 Apr 26; Tot $508,684; Dsb $368,375 |
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Republican | Member of Congress Garland "Andy" Barr • Congressional District 6 • FEC S6KY00286; 29 Apr 26; Tot $8,348,202; Dsb $9,643,722 |
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Independent | Scott Micheal Duncan • FEC S6KY00195 |
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Other | Christopher Todd Campbell • FEC S6KY00377 |
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Write-in | Thomas Michael Murphy | |||
| Class 3 | Republican | Senator Rand Paul • First elected: 2010; re-elected: 2016, 2022. • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 7 November 2028 |
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| Candidate list (1) | |||||
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Independent | David Biery • FEC S8KY00282 |
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| Governor 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms, All Governors | |||||
| Democratic | Governor Andy Beshear • First elected: 2019; re-elected: 2023. • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 2 November 2027 • The current Governor is affected by a term limit and cannot run for re-election. • Open Chair |
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| Candidate list (1) | |||||
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Democratic | Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman | |||
| Lieutenant Governor 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027. Elected on a ticket with Governor; no separate Primary for Lt Gov from Gov | |||||
| Democratic | Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman • First elected: 2019; re-elected: 2023. • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 2 November 2027 • Open Seat - Candidate for Governor in 2027. |
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| 119th U.S. House of Representatives 2-year term. Election Cycle 2026, 2028. No Term Limit. 119th House | |||||
| Partisan Composition (primary disposition): 5 Republican (3 Renominated, 1 Lost / No longer running, 1 Open); 1 Democratic (1 Renominated) | |||||
| Incumbent - 119th 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 3 November 2026 • Renominated - 13 May 2026: Media reports indicate Member of Congress James R. Comer will run for Governor in 2027. |
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| Candidate list (2) - 120th Congress | |||||
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Democratic | John Andrew "Drew" Williams • FEC H6KY01169; 29 Apr 26; Tot $79,747; Dsb $68,318 |
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Republican | Member of Congress James R. Comer • FEC H6KY01110; 29 Apr 26; Tot $1,478,704; Dsb $1,588,677 |
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| Incumbent - 119th Congress | |||||
| CD 2 |
Republican | Member of Congress Steven Brett "Brett" Guthrie • First elected: 2008 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 3 November 2026 • Renominated |
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| Candidate list (3) - 120th Congress | |||||
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Democratic | Megan Wingfield • FEC H6KY02068 |
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Republican | Member of Congress Steven Brett "Brett" Guthrie • FEC H8KY02031; 29 Apr 26; Tot $4,193,325; Dsb $2,898,393 |
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Independent | Thomas A. Loecken | |||
| Incumbent - 119th Congress | |||||
CD 3 |
Democratic | Member of Congress Morgan McGarvey • First elected: 2022. • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 3 November 2026 • Renominated |
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| Candidate list (3) - 120th Congress | |||||
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Democratic | Member of Congress Morgan McGarvey • FEC H2KY03206; 29 Apr 26; Tot $1,448,999; Dsb $986,553 |
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Republican | Maria Teresa Rodriguez • FEC H6KY03223; 31 Mar 26; Tot $18,620; Dsb $3,058 |
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Independent | Oumou Diallo • FEC H6KY03215; 31 Mar 26; Tot $2,493; Dsb $1,313 |
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| Incumbent - 119th Congress | |||||
| CD 4 Lost |
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 3 November 2026 • Lost Primary / No Longer Running |
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| ** Open Seat (no incumbent) ** | |||||
| Candidate list (3) - 120th Congress | |||||
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Democratic | Melissa Claire Strange • FEC H6KY04189; 29 Apr 26; Tot $69,086; Dsb $56,278 |
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Republican | Ed Gallrein • FEC H6KY04171; 29 Apr 26; Tot $3,163,892; Dsb $2,620,239 |
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Libertarian | Jeremy Todd | |||
| Incumbent - 119th Congress | |||||
| CD 5 |
Republican | Member of Congress Harold Dallas "Hal" Rogers • First elected: 1980 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 3 November 2026 • Renominated |
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| Candidate list (4, 1 write-in) - 120th Congress | |||||
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Democratic | Ned Pillersdorf • FEC H6KY05152; 29 Apr 26; Tot $115,582; Dsb $32,060 |
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Republican | Member of Congress Harold Dallas "Hal" Rogers • FEC H0KY05015; 29 Apr 26; Tot $747,741; Dsb $858,906 |
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Independent | Gerardo Serrano | |||
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Independent | Mikel Wein • FEC H6KY05202; 31 Mar 26; Tot $2,200; Dsb $186 |
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Write-in; (Independent) | Billy Ray Wilson • FEC H2KY05136 |
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| Incumbent - 119th Congress | |||||
| CD 6 Open |
Republican | Member of Congress Garland "Andy" Barr • First elected: 2012 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 3 November 2026 • Open Seat - Candidate for the U.S. Senate Class 2 seat in 2026. Won the 19 May 2026 primary for U.S. Senate. |
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| ** Open Seat (no incumbent) ** | |||||
| Candidate list (5) - 120th Congress | |||||
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Democratic | Zach Dembo • FEC H6KY06184; 29 Apr 26; Tot $956,430; Dsb $678,140 |
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Republican | former state Senator Ralph A. Alvarado • FEC H6KY06192; 29 Apr 26; Tot $1,175,185; Dsb $720,018 |
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Kentucky | Peter Shaw Keller "Pete" Lynch • FEC H6KY06242 |
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Independent | Jay J. Bowman • FEC H6KY06234; 31 Mar 26; Tot $4,744; Dsb $4,924 |
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No Party Affiliation | Robert Allen Quigley • FEC H6KY06283 |
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| Secretary of State 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027 | |||||
| Republican | Secretary of State Michael G. Adams • First elected: 2019; re-elected: 2023. • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 2 November 2027 • Open Seat - At Term Limit |
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| Attorney General 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027 | |||||
| Republican | Attorney General Russell Coleman • First elected: 2023 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 2 November 2027 |
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| Treasurer 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027 | |||||
| Republican | Treasurer Mark H. Metcalf • First elected: 2023 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 2 November 2027 |
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| Auditor of Public Accounts 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027 | |||||
| Republican | Auditor of Public Accounts Allison Ball • First elected: 2023 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 2 November 2027 |
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| Commissioner of Agriculture 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2023, 2027 | |||||
| Republican | Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell • First elected: 2023 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 2 November 2027 |
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| 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, 8 candidates | |
| • Republican: 12 incumbents, 7 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 | |
| Other Third Parties | |
| • Justice Party | |
| • Kentucky: 1 candidate | |
| • Unity | |
| Independents | |
| • Independent: 8 candidates | |
| • No Party Affiliation: 1 candidate | |
| • Other: 1 candidate | |
| Write-in/Scattered/otherwise not readily classifiable | |
| • Write-in: 2 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. |
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