2026 primary election results: General Assembly races

Voters cast primary ballots on Tuesday for who they want to represent them in the state legislature.

The entire Kentucky House of Representatives, whose 100 members are elected every two years, and half of the Kentucky Senate, whose members serve staggered four-year terms, are up for election this year.

Kentucky House races

Only one Republican incumbent, Rep. Kim Banta of House District 63 in northern Kentucky, lost their primary. She was defeated by Cole Cuzick by 13 votes. Cuzick is unopposed in the general election.

Two Democrat incumbents, both from Louisville, were also unseated:

• Daniel Grossberg (House District 30) was defeated by Mitra Subedi who is unopposed in the general election.
• Beverly Chester Burton (House District 44) was defeated by Kenya Wade by a slim margin of five votes. Wade is also unopposed in the general election.

Nine House seats do not have an incumbent on the ballot. Of those, two current county officials won primary races for open seats:

• Daniel Konstantopoulos, who currently serves as a magistrate in Clark County, won the Republican primary for House District 73. The seat is currently held by Ryan Dotson, who unsuccessfully ran for the 6^th District congressional seat being vacated by Congressman Andy Barr. Konstantopoulos will face Democrat Chelsea Kirk in the general election.
• David Charles, who currently serves as sheriff in Montgomery County, won the Republican primary for House District 74. The seat is currently held by David Hale, who is retiring. Charles is unopposed in the general election.

Other primary winners for open House seats include:

• Wes Pate, a former city council member in Lewisport, won the Republican primary for House District 14. He will face Democrat Donna Haynes for a the seat currently held by Scott Lewis, who did not seek reelection.
• Joseph Redmon won a four-person Republican primary for House District 27 and will face Democrat Susan Doman in November. The winner will replace Nancy Tate, who did not seek reelection.
• Robert LeVertis Bell is the Democratic primary winner for House District 43 and has no Republican opposition in the general election. He will succeed Pamela Stevenson, who unnsuccesfully ran for U.S. Senate.
• Kevin Jones won the Republican primary for House District 52 and has no opposition in the general election. He will replace retiring Rep. Ken Upchurch.
• Republican Mike Fisher is the Republican primary winner for House District 70 and will face Democrat Charlotte Harris in the general election for a seat currently held by William Lawrence.
• Tanner Hesterberg came out ahead in the Republican primary for House District 95, which is currently represented by Ashley Tackett Laferty. Hesterberg will face Democrat Johnny Ray Turner, who previously served in the state Senate.

Republicans currently hold a supermajority in the House, 80-20.

Kentucky Senate races

Even-numbered Senate districts are up for election this year, with all incumbent senators winning their primaries Tuesday.

• Brandon Smith defeated Bill Wesley in a heavily watched Republican primary to retain the 30th District seat.

The only open seat on on the ballot this year is for Senate District 14 to replace retiring Sen. Jimmy Higdon. 

• Ben Mudd won a competitive Republican primary and will face Democrat Carrie Gribbins Truitt in the general election.

Republicans currently hold a supermajority in the Senate, 32-6.

Kentucky’s general election is Nov. 3, 2026.