The 2024 Kentucky Senate election was held on November 5, 2024. The Republican and Democratic primary elections were held on May 21. Half of the senate (all odd-numbered seats) was up for election. Following the 2022 election, Republicans and Democrats held 31 and seven seats, respectively. The deadline for candidates to file was January 5, 2024. Republicans maintained their majority in the chamber without gaining or losing any seats. A numbered map of the senate districts can be viewed at the

Kentucky Senate The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout Kentucky, the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky senators. T ...

site.

Overview

Retiring incumbents

2024 Kentucky Senate election retirements or losses of renomination map

A total of four senators (one Democrat and three Republicans) retired, none of whom retired to run for other offices.

Democratic

# 35th: Denise Harper Angel (

Louisville Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city; however, by populatio ...

): Retired.

Republican

# 3rd:

Whitney Westerfield Whitney Henderson Westerfield (born November 29, 1980) is an American attorney, politician and a Republican member of the Kentucky Senate who represented district 3 from 2013 to 2025. In 2015, Westerfield was the unsuccessful Republican nominee ...

( Fruit Hill): Retired. # 11th:

John Schickel John Schickel (born March 29, 1954) is an American Republican politician. He was a member of the Kentucky Senate from 2009 to 2025. He did not run for reelection in 2024. Schickel earned an M.P.A. degree from Northern Kentucky University. A ...

( Union): Retired. # 17th:

Damon Thayer Damon Daniel Thayer (born September 16, 1967) is an American politician. He was a Republican member of the Kentucky Senate, representing the 17th District. He did not run for reelection in 2024. Thayer was raised in Grayling, Michigan. He grad ...

( Georgetown): Retired.

Incumbents defeated

One incumbent lost renomination in the primary election.

In the primary election

Republicans

One Republican lost renomination. # 7th: Adrienne E. Southworth (first elected in 2020) lost renomination to Aaron Reed.

Predictions

Summary by district

† – Incumbent did not seek re-election

Closest races

There were no seats where the margin of victory was under 10%.

Special elections

District 19 special

2023 Kentucky Senate 19th district special election results map by precinct

Cassie Chambers Armstrong Cassie Chambers Armstrong (born September 30, 1986) is an American politician who is a member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party representing District 19 in the Kentucky Senate since March 2, 2023. A former member of the Lo ...

was elected in February 2023 following the resignation of

Morgan McGarvey John Morgan McGarvey (born December 23, 1979) is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Kentucky's 3rd congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented the 19th district in ...

to become a

U. S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of the ...

District 28 special

2023 Kentucky Senate 28th district special election results map by precinct

Greg Elkins Gregory Allen Elkins (born October 10, 1964) is an American politician from Kentucky. He is a Republican who has represented District 28 in the Kentucky Senate since June 8, 2023. Elkins won a special election on May 16, 2023. He is also a bus ...

was elected in

May 2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy, the longest-lasting recorded tropical cyclone in history in the ...

to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Ralph Alvarado in January 2023.

District 1

Republican primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= * Jason G. Howell, incumbent senator

= Eliminated in primary

= * Lynn Bechler, representative from the 4th district (2013–2023)

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

General election

Results

District 3

Incumbent senator

retired.

Republican primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= * Craig B. Richardson, attorney

General election

Results

District 5

Democratic primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= *Jamie Skudlarek, candidate for the Ohio County Board of Education in 2022

Republican primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= *

Stephen Meredith Air Vice Marshal Stephen Leslie Meredith, is a retired senior officer of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He joined the RAAF as a navigator in 1986. He has commanded No. 6 Squadron RAAF (2006–08), No. 42 Wing RAAF (2008–10), the A ...

, incumbent senator

= Eliminated in primary

= *Thomas Ballinger, veteran and beekeeper

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

General election

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 7

Incumbent senator Adrienne E. Southworth was defeated for renomination by Republican Aaron Reed.

Democratic primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= *Rhonda Davis, small business owner

Republican primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= * Aaron Reed, veteran and firearms manufacturer

= Eliminated in primary

= *Ed Gallrein, veteran and farmer * Adrienne E. Southworth, incumbent senator

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

General election

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 9

Democratic primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= *Karen M. Pennington

Republican primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= * David P. Givens, incumbent senator and president pro tempore of the senate

General election

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 11

Incumbent senator

retired.

Republican primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= *

Steve Rawlings John Steven Rawlings (born April 5, 1957) is an American attorney and politician who has served as a Republican Party (United States), Republican member of the Kentucky Senate since January 2025. His district includes the northern part of Boone ...

, representative from the 66th district (2023–2025)

= Eliminated in primary

= *Duane Froelicher, member of the

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

city council (2015–2021) and candidate for mayor of Florence in 2022

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

General election

Results

District 13

Democratic primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= *

Reggie Thomas Reginald L. Thomas (born May 20, 1953) is an American politician from the state of Kentucky. A member of the Democratic Party, Thomas is a member of the Kentucky Senate and currently serves as the minority caucus chair. Thomas' election in 201 ...

, incumbent senator

General election

Results

District 15

Republican primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= *

Rick Girdler Richard A. Girdler (born May 23, 1955) is an American politician who has served in the Kentucky Senate The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single ...

, incumbent senator

General election

Results

District 17

Incumbent senator and senate majority leader

retired.

Democratic primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= *Kiana Fields

Republican primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= * Matt Nunn, veteran and

Toyota Tsusho is a sōgō shōsha (trading company), a member of the Toyota Group. Toyota Tsusho has a worldwide presence through its many subsidiaries and operating divisions, including over 150 offices, and 900 subsidiaries and affiliates around the world. ...

vice president

= Eliminated in primary

= *Julia Jaddock, church employee

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

General election

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 19

Democratic primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= *

, incumbent senator

General election

Results

District 21

Republican primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= * Brandon J. Storm, incumbent senator

General election

Results

District 23

Democratic primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= *Jennifer Sierra, artist and author, and candidate for

Dayton Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

city council in 2014

Republican primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= *

Chris McDaniel Christopher Brian McDaniel (born June 28, 1971) is an American attorney, talk radio host, perennial candidate for statewide office, and politician who served in the Mississippi State Senate from 2008 to 2024. His politics have been widely descri ...

, incumbent senator

General election

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 25

Republican primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= *

Robert Stivers Bertram Robert Stivers II (born December 24, 1961) is a Republican member of the Kentucky Senate representing the 25th Senate District since 1997. He served as the Republican Majority Leader of the Kentucky Senate through 2012 and became the ...

, incumbent senator and

president of the senate President of the Senate is a title often given to the presiding officer of a senate. It corresponds to the Speaker (politics), speaker in some other assemblies. The senate president often ranks high in a jurisdiction's Order of succession, succes ...

General election

Results

District 27

Democratic primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= *Molly Gene Crain, farmer and consultant

Republican primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= * Steve West, incumbent senator

General election

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 29

At the time ballots were printed for the election, two candidates were in the race: Republican Johnnie L. Turner and independent David Suhr. However, before the election was held, Suhr withdrew from the race and Turner died, meaning neither of their votes would be counted. The winner of the race was a write-in candidate, Republican

Scott Madon Scott Madon (born March 8, 1962) is an American politician and member of the Kentucky Senate from Kentucky's 29th Senate District. His district includes Bell, Floyd, Harlan, Knott, and Letcher counties. He was elected in the 2024 Kentucky S ...

Republican primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= * Johnnie L. Turner, senator from the 29th district (2021–2024) ''(died October 22, 2024, remained on ballot)''

= Eliminated in primary

= *Shawn Andrew Gilley, member of the

Letcher County Letcher County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 21,548. Its county seat is Whitesburg, Kentucky, Whitesburg. It was created in 1842 f ...

Board of Education (2019–present) *Randy Thompson, Judge/Executive of Knott County (2005–2013)

= Withdrawn

= *Les Stapleton, mayor of Prestonsburg (2015–2024) ''(withdrew January 5, 2024)''

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

Independent candidates

Withdrawn

*David Suhr ''(withdrew October 15, 2024, remained on ballot)''

Write-in candidates

Democratic

*Craig E. Blackburn *Valerie Ison Horn, volunteer and activist *Justin Wade Noble, attorney *Paul Williams, deputy sheriff

Republican

*John Clem, candidate for Harlan County Clerk in 2018 *Willie Crase, candidate for Judge/Executive of Floyd County in 2022 *

, mayor of Pineville (2015–2025) *Andrew Thomas Saylor *James Tyler Ward II, attorney

Independent

*James Richard Tanner Hesterberg, attorney and former journalist

Unknown

*Leonard Hendrickson, candidate for Judge/Executive of Knott County in 2018

General election

Endorsements

Results

District 31

Republican primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= * C. Phillip Wheeler Jr., incumbent senator

General election

Results

District 33

Democratic primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= *

Gerald A. Neal Gerald Anthony Neal (born September 22, 1945) is an American politician who has served as a member of the Kentucky Senate since 1989. He has been the longest-serving member of the senate since the resignation of David Williams in 2012. Early li ...

, incumbent senator and senate minority leader

= Eliminated in primary

= *Michael W. Churchill Jr. * Attica Woodson Scott, representative from the 41st district (2017–2023) and candidate for

Kentucky's 3rd congressional district Kentucky's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It encompasses almost all of Louisville Metro, which, since the merger of 2003, is consolidated with Jefferson County, though other incorporate ...

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

General election

Results

District 35

Incumbent senator Denise Harper Angel retired.

Democratic primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= * Keturah J. Herron, representative from the 42nd district (2022–2025)

General election

Results

District 37

Democratic primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= *

David Yates David Yates (born 8 October 1963) is an English filmmaker, who has directed feature films, short films, and television productions. He is best known for directing the final four films in the Harry Potter (film series), ''Harry Potter'' series ...

, incumbent senator and senate minority whip

Republican primary

Candidates

= Nominee

= *Calvin Leach,Campaign website
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master's student A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practic ...

and member of the

United States Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a Military reserve force, reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed ...