Kentucky 2018 General Election

The Green Papers: Kentucky 2018 General Election

This page is for offices up for election in 2018. Find 2019 elections here.

Flag images courtesy of The World Flag Database. Copyright http://www.flags.net/

Kentucky
Elections for Statewide offices and Congress
✓ Primary: Tuesday 22 May 2018
✓ General Election: Tuesday 6 November 2018

✓ Tuesday 30 January 2018 - Filing Deadline - Primary .
✓ Tuesday 22 May 2018 - 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 14 August 2018 - Filing Deadline - Independent/Third/Minor .
✓ Tuesday 6 November 2018 - General Election . Polling hours 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
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

Alabama Alaska American Samoa Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Northern Marianas Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virgin Islands Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Kentucky State and Local Government

27 January 2017: HB 81 and SB 52 have been introduced to move elections for statewide executive offices from the odd year prior to a Presidential election year to Presidential election years. Statewide offices up for election in 2019 would have 5 year terms (to 2024). After that, there would be no statewide off year elections.

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

2018 KENTUCKY ELECTION CALENDAR from the Kentucky State Board of Elections.

Candidate Filings from the Kentucky State Board of Elections.

22 May Primary
Returns for the Kentucky State Board of Elections.
Results from The New York Times
Results from Politico.

6 November 2018:
Candidate Filings from the Kentucky State Board of Elections.
Certified returns from the Kentucky State Board of Elections.



U.S. Senate 6 year term. No Term Limit. 115^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
	Candidate list (3)

		Democratic			Steven Jewell Isom Cox • FEC S0KY00271
		Democratic			Andrew J. Maynard • FEC S0KY00289

		*Republican*			*Senator Mitch McConnell* • 4 August 2018: Announced that he will run for re-election in 2020. • FEC S2KY00012

Class 3		Republican	Senator Rand Paul • First elected: 2010; re-elected: 2016. • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 8 November 2022

Governor 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2015, 2019. Term Limit: 2 consecutive 4-year terms, All Governors

		Republican	Governor Matthew Griswold "Matt" Bevin • First elected: 2015 • Chair up for regular election: Tuesday 5 November 2019 • The current Governor is unaffected by the State's term limit.
	Candidate list (3)

		Democratic			state Representative Rocky Adkins • for Lieutenant Governor: Jefferson County School Board of Education Steph Horne
		Democratic			Attorney General Andy Beshear • for Lieutenant Governor: Jacqueline Coleman

		*Republican*			*Governor Matthew Griswold "Matt" Bevin* • 25 August 2018: Announced he would run for re-election.

Lieutenant Governor 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2015, 2019. Elected on a ticket with Governor; no separate Primary for Lt Gov from Gov

		Republican	Lieutenant Governor Jenean Hampton • First elected: 2015 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 5 November 2019

115^th U.S. House of Representatives 2-year term. Election Cycle 2018, 2020. No Term Limit. 115^th House
Partisan Composition (primary disposition): 5 Republican (5 Renominated); 1 Democratic (1 Renominated)

Incumbent - 115th Congress
CD 1		Republican	Congressman James R. Comer • Re-elected Tuesday 6 November 2018 • First elected in a Special [re: 6 September 2016 resignation of Congressman Wayne Edward "Ed" Whitfield (Republican)] and General Election: 8 November 2016 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018 • Renominated
	Candidate list (2) - 116th Congress

		Republican	172,167	68.59%	Congressman James R. Comer • FEC H6KY01110; 26 Nov 18; Tot $714,196; Dsb $628,812

		Democratic	78,849	31.41%	Paul Walker • FEC H8KY01074; 26 Nov 18; Tot $51,454; Dsb $50,083
Total			251,016	100.00%

Incumbent - 115th Congress
CD 2		Republican	Congressman Steven Brett "Brett" Guthrie • Re-elected Tuesday 6 November 2018 • First elected: 2008 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018 • Renominated
	Candidate list (3) - 116th Congress

		Republican	171,700	66.72%	Congressman Steven Brett "Brett" Guthrie • FEC H8KY02031; 26 Nov 18; Tot $1,970,412; Dsb $1,671,613

		Democratic	79,964	31.07%	Hank Linderman • FEC H8KY02080; 26 Nov 18; Tot $183,296; Dsb $172,350

		Independent	5,681	2.21%	Thomas A. "Tom" Loecken • FEC H8KY02106
Total			257,345	100.00%

Incumbent - 115th Congress
CD 3		Democratic	Congressman John A. Yarmuth • Re-elected Tuesday 6 November 2018 • First elected: 2006 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018 • Renominated
	Candidate list (3) - 116th Congress

		Democratic	173,002	62.07%	Congressman John A. Yarmuth • FEC H6KY03124; 26 Nov 18; Tot $950,857; Dsb $1,133,574

		Republican	101,930	36.57%	former state Health Secretary Vickie Yates Brown Glisson • FEC H8KY03211; 26 Nov 18; Tot $750,096; Dsb $711,862

		Libertarian	3,788	1.36%	Gregory Boles • FEC H8KY03229
Total			278,720	100.00%

Incumbent - 115th Congress
CD 4		Republican	Congressman Thomas H. Massie • Re-elected Tuesday 6 November 2018 • 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 6 November 2018 • Renominated
	Candidate list (3, 1 write-in) - 116th Congress

		Republican	162,946	62.24%	Congressman Thomas H. Massie • FEC H2KY04121; 26 Nov 18; Tot $371,092; Dsb $365,360

		Democratic	90,536	34.58%	Seth Blane Hall • FEC H8KY04169; 17 Oct 18; Tot $76,212; Dsb $38,261

		Independent	8,318	3.18%	Mike Moffett • FEC H8KY04193

		Write-in; (Independent)	12	0.00%	David Goodwin • FEC H8KY04151
Total			261,812	100.00%

Incumbent - 115th Congress
CD 5		Republican	Congressman Harold Dallas "Hal" Rogers • Re-elected Tuesday 6 November 2018 • First elected: 1980 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018 • Renominated
	Candidate list (2, 1 write-in) - 116th Congress

		Republican	172,093	78.94%	Congressman Harold Dallas "Hal" Rogers • FEC H0KY05015; 26 Nov 18; Tot $888,856; Dsb $941,956

		Democratic	45,890	21.05%	Kenneth Stephenson Stepp • FEC H6KY05111; 26 Nov 18; Tot $2,215; Dsb $2,182

		Write-in	34	0.02%	Billy Ray Wilson
Total			218,017	100.00%

Incumbent - 115th Congress
CD 6		Republican	Congressman Garland "Andy" Barr • Re-elected Tuesday 6 November 2018 • First elected: 2012 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 6 November 2018 • Renominated
	Candidate list (5) - 116th Congress

		Republican	154,468	51.00%	Congressman Garland "Andy" Barr • FEC H0KY06104; 26 Nov 18; Tot $5,295,753; Dsb $5,518,989

		Democratic	144,736	47.79%	Amy McGrath • FEC H8KY06164; 26 Nov 18; Tot $8,618,908; Dsb $8,139,272

		Libertarian	2,150	0.71%	Frank Harris • FEC H8KY06222

		Independent	1,011	0.33%	Rikka L. Wallin • FEC H8KY06214
		Independent	523	0.17%	James Germalic • FEC H8KY06230
Total			302,888	100.00%

Secretary of State 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2015, 2019

		Democratic	Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes • First elected: 2011; re-elected: 2015 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 5 November 2019
	Candidate list (4)

		Democratic			Jason Griffith

		Republican			state Elections Board Member Michael G. Adams
		Republican			former Erlanger City Councilman Stephen L. "Steve" Knipper
		Republican			Carl Nett

Attorney General 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2015, 2019

		Democratic	Attorney General Andy Beshear • First elected: 2015 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 5 November 2019 • Open Seat - 9 July 2018: Candidate for Governor in 2019.
	Candidate list (1)

		Republican			state Senator Whitney Westerfield

Treasurer 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2015, 2019

		Republican	Treasurer Allison Ball • First elected: 2015 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 5 November 2019

Auditor of Public Accounts 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2015, 2019

		Republican	Auditor of Public Accounts Mike Harmon • First elected: 2011; re-elected: 2015 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 5 November 2019

Commissioner of Agriculture 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2015, 2019

		Republican	Agriculture Commissioner Ryan F. Quarles • First elected: 2015 • Seat up for regular election: Tuesday 5 November 2019

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, 11 candidates
	• Republican: 12 incumbents, 12 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: 2 candidates
Independents
	• Independent: 5 candidates
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.