2018 Kentucky Senate election
The 2018 Kentucky Senate election was held on November 6, 2018. The Republican and Democratic primary elections were held on May 22. Half of the senate (all even-numbered seats) were up for election. Republicans increased their majority in the chamber, gaining one seat.
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19 out of 38 seats in the Kentucky Senate 20 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Results: Republican hold Republican gain Democratic hold No election Popular vote: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% >90% 50–60% >90% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Kentucky |
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| Government |
A numbered map of the senate districts at the time can be viewed here.
Overview
| Party | Candidates | Votes | % | Seats | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opposed | Unopposed | Before | Won | After | +/− | ||||||
| Republican | 18 | 0 | 468,530 | 57.93 | 27 | 17 | 28 | +1 | |||
| Democratic | 16 | 1 | 325,800 | 40.29 | 11 | 2 | 10 | -1 | |||
| Independent | 2 | 0 | 10,946 | 1.35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | |||
| Write-in | 2 | 0 | 3,454 | 0.43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | |||
| Total | 38 | 1 | 808,730 | 100.00 | 38 | 19 | 38 | ±0 | |||
| Source: Kentucky Secretary of State | |||||||||||
Retiring incumbents
One senator retired, who did not run for another office.
Incumbents defeated
One incumbent lost reelection in the general election.
- 4th: J. Dorsey Ridley (first elected in 2004) lost to Robert M. "Robby" Mills.
Summary by district
Certified results by the Kentucky Secretary of State are available online for the primary election and general election.
† – Incumbent not seeking re-election
| District | Incumbent | Party | Elected | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Danny Carroll | Rep | Danny Carroll | Rep | ||
| 4 | J. Dorsey Ridley | Dem | Robert M. "Robby" Mills | Rep | ||
| 6 | C. B. Embry Jr. | Rep | C. B. Embry Jr. | Rep | ||
| 8 | Joe Bowen† | Rep | Matt Castlen | Rep | ||
| 10 | Dennis L. Parrett | Dem | Dennis L. Parrett | Dem | ||
| 12 | Alice Forgy Kerr | Rep | Alice Forgy Kerr | Rep | ||
| 14 | Jimmy Higdon | Rep | Jimmy Higdon | Rep | ||
| 16 | George Maxwell "Max" Wise | Rep | George Maxwell "Max" Wise | Rep | ||
| 18 | Robin L. Webb | Dem | Robin L. Webb | Dem | ||
| 20 | Paul R. Hornback | Rep | Paul R. Hornback | Rep | ||
| 22 | Tom Buford | Rep | Tom Buford | Rep | ||
| 24 | Wil Schroder | Rep | Wil Schroder | Rep | ||
| 26 | Ernie Harris | Rep | Ernie Harris | Rep | ||
| 28 | Ralph Alvarado | Rep | Ralph Alvarado | Rep | ||
| 30 | Brandon Smith | Rep | Brandon Smith | Rep | ||
| 32 | Mike Wilson | Rep | Mike Wilson | Rep | ||
| 34 | Jared K. Carpenter | Rep | Jared K. Carpenter | Rep | ||
| 36 | Julie Raque Adams | Rep | Julie Raque Adams | Rep | ||
| 38 | Dan Malano Seum | Rep | Dan Malano Seum | Rep | ||
Crossover seats
Democratic
Three districts voted for Donald Trump in 2016 but had Democratic incumbents:
| District | Incumbent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Trump margin of victory in 2016 |
Member | Party | Incumbent margin of victory in 2014 |
| 4 | R+44.38 | J. Dorsey Ridley | Democratic | Unopposed |
| 10 | R+30.39 | Dennis L. Parrett | Democratic | Unopposed |
| 18 | R+43.15 | Robin L. Webb | Democratic | D+25.37 |
Republican
None.
Closest races
Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:
- District 4, 1.29% (gain)
- District 12, 1.46%
- District 32, 4.66%
- District 26, 5.42%
- District 28, 6.71%
- District 36, 6.74%
District 2
Incumbent senator Danny Carroll won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Julie Tennyson.
Nominee
- Julie Tennyson
Nominee
- Danny Carroll, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Danny Carroll (incumbent) | 28,252 | 63.2 | |
| Democratic | Julie Tennyson | 16,428 | 36.8 | |
| Total votes | 44,680 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 4
Incumbent senator J. Dorsey Ridley was defeated for reelection by Republican Robert M. "Robby" Mills.
Nominee
- J. Dorsey Ridley, incumbent senator
Nominee
- Robert M. "Robby" Mills, representative from the 11th district (2017–2019)
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert M. "Robby" Mills | 19,057 | 50.6 | |
| Democratic | J. Dorsey Ridley (incumbent) | 18,573 | 49.4 | |
| Total votes | 37,630 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
Results by county
| County | Robert M. "Robby" Mills | J. Dorsey Ridley | Margin | Total votes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Caldwell | 2,660 | 53.53 | 2,309 | 46.47 | 351 | 7.06 | 4,969 |
| Crittenden | 2,144 | 63.75 | 1,219 | 36.25 | 925 | 27.51 | 3,363 |
| Henderson | 6,586 | 43.03 | 8,718 | 56.97 | -2,132 | -13.93 | 15,304 |
| Livingston | 2,216 | 58.15 | 1,595 | 41.85 | 621 | 16.29 | 3,811 |
| Union | 3,028 | 53.23 | 2,661 | 46.77 | 367 | 6.45 | 5,689 |
| Webster | 2,423 | 53.92 | 2,071 | 46.08 | 352 | 7.83 | 4,494 |
| Total | 19,057 | 50.64 | 18,573 | 49.36 | 484 | 1.29 | 37,630 |
District 6
Incumbent senator C. B. Embry Jr. won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Crystal Chappell.
Nominee
- Crystal Chappell
Nominee
- C. B. Embry Jr., incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | C. B. Embry Jr. (incumbent) | 27,139 | 67.2 | |
| Democratic | Crystal Chappell | 13,217 | 32.8 | |
| Total votes | 40,356 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 8
Incumbent senator Joe Bowen did not seek reelection.[1] He was succeeded by Republican Matt Castlen.
Nominee
- Bob Glenn
Nominee
- Matt Castlen, representative from the 14th district (2017–2019)
Eliminated in primary
- Dianne Burns Mackey
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Matt Castlen | 4,530 | 65.0 | |
| Republican | Dianne Burns Mackey | 2,441 | 35.0 | |
| Total votes | 6,971 | 100.0 | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Matt Castlen | 25,107 | 58.2 | |
| Democratic | Bob Glenn | 18,019 | 41.8 | |
| Total votes | 43,126 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 10
Incumbent senator Dennis L. Parrett won reelection unopposed.
Nominee
- Dennis L. Parrett, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dennis L. Parrett (incumbent) | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 24,224 | 100.0 | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
District 12
Incumbent senator Alice Forgy Kerr won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Paula Setser-Kissick.
Nominee
- Paula Setser-Kissick
Nominee
- Alice Forgy Kerr, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Alice Forgy Kerr (incumbent) | 26,874 | 50.7 | |
| Democratic | Paula Setser-Kissick | 26,102 | 49.3 | |
| Total votes | 52,976 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 14
Incumbent senator Jimmy Higdon won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Stephanie Compton.
Nominee
- Stephanie Compton
Nominee
- Jimmy Higdon, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jimmy Higdon (incumbent) | 29,752 | 65.3 | |
| Democratic | Stephanie Compton | 15,842 | 34.7 | |
| Total votes | 45,594 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 16
Incumbent senator George Maxwell "Max" Wise won reelection, defeating write-in candidate Nicole Britton.
Nominee
- George Maxwell "Max" Wise, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | George Maxwell "Max" Wise (incumbent) | 33,447 | 96.7 | |
| Write-in | Nicole Britton | 1,125 | 3.3 | |
| Total votes | 34,572 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 18
Incumbent senator Robin L. Webb won reelection, defeating primary and general election challengers.
Nominee
- Robin L. Webb, incumbent senator
Eliminated in primary
- Chester Chuck Highley
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robin L. Webb (incumbent) | 10,543 | 86.7 | |
| Democratic | Chester Chuck Highley | 1,623 | 13.3 | |
| Total votes | 12,166 | 100.0 | ||
Nominee
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robin L. Webb (incumbent) | 21,644 | 57.8 | |
| Republican | Scott L. Sharp | 15,823 | 42.2 | |
| Total votes | 37,467 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 20
Incumbent senator Paul R. Hornback won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Dave Suetholz.
Nominee
- Dave Suetholz
Nominee
- Paul R. Hornback, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Paul R. Hornback (incumbent) | 25,775 | 56.5 | |
| Democratic | Dave Suetholz | 19,829 | 43.5 | |
| Total votes | 45,604 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 22
Incumbent senator Tom Buford won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Carolyn Dupont.
Nominee
- Carolyn Dupont
Nominee
- Tom Buford, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tom Buford (incumbent) | 28,537 | 66.0 | |
| Democratic | Carolyn Dupont | 14,692 | 34.0 | |
| Total votes | 43,229 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 24
Incumbent senator Wil Schroder won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Rachel Roberts.
Nominee
Nominee
- Wil Schroder, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Wil Schroder (incumbent) | 23,705 | 56.9 | |
| Democratic | Rachel Roberts | 17,958 | 43.1 | |
| Total votes | 41,663 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 26
Incumbent senator Ernie Harris won reelection, defeating primary and general election challengers.
Nominee
Eliminated in primary
- Matt Kaufmann
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Karen Berg | 7,112 | 67.3 | |
| Democratic | Matt Kaufmann | 3,451 | 32.7 | |
| Total votes | 10,563 | 100.0 | ||
Nominee
- Ernie Harris, incumbent senator
Eliminated in primary
- Alex R. White
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ernie Harris (incumbent) | 5,193 | 52.2 | |
| Republican | Alex R. White | 4,750 | 47.8 | |
| Total votes | 9,943 | 100.0 | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ernie Harris (incumbent) | 29,625 | 51.8 | |
| Democratic | Karen Berg | 26,524 | 46.3 | |
| Independent | Jody Hurt | 1,078 | 1.9 | |
| Total votes | 57,227 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 28
Incumbent senator Ralph Alvarado won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Denise Gray.
Nominee
- Denise Gray
Nominee
- Ralph Alvarado, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ralph Alvarado (incumbent) | 23,212 | 53.4 | |
| Democratic | Denise Gray | 20,291 | 46.6 | |
| Total votes | 43,503 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 30
Incumbent senator Brandon Smith won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Paula Clemons-Combs.
Nominee
- Paula Clemons-Combs
Nominee
- Brandon Smith, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Brandon Smith (incumbent) | 27,747 | 73.2 | |
| Democratic | Paula Clemons-Combs | 10,151 | 26.8 | |
| Total votes | 37,898 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 32
Incumbent senator Mike Wilson won reelection, defeating primary and general election challengers.
Nominee
- Jeanie Smith
Nominee
- Mike Wilson, incumbent senator
Eliminated in primary
- Darrell Traughber
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Wilson (incumbent) | 4,877 | 60.8 | |
| Republican | Darrell Traughber | 3,150 | 39.2 | |
| Total votes | 8,027 | 100.0 | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Wilson (incumbent) | 20,803 | 52.3 | |
| Democratic | Jeanie Smith | 18,952 | 47.7 | |
| Total votes | 39,755 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 34
Incumbent senator Jared K. Carpenter won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Susan Byrne Haddix.
Nominee
- Susan Byrne Haddix
Nominee
- Jared K. Carpenter, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jared K. Carpenter (incumbent) | 28,145 | 61.8 | |
| Democratic | Susan Byrne Haddix | 17,377 | 38.2 | |
| Total votes | 45,522 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 36
Incumbent senator Julie Raque Adams won reelection, defeating primary and general election challengers.
Nominee
- Sheri A. Donahue
Eliminated in primary
- Gay Adelmann
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sheri A. Donahue | 5,694 | 56.2 | |
| Democratic | Gay Adelmann | 4,442 | 43.8 | |
| Total votes | 10,136 | 100.0 | ||
Nominee
- Julie Raque Adams, incumbent senator
Eliminated in primary
- Sheeba Jolly
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Julie Raque Adams (incumbent) | 5,800 | 90.3 | |
| Republican | Sheeba Jolly | 622 | 9.7 | |
| Total votes | 6,422 | 100.0 | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Julie Raque Adams (incumbent) | 29,729 | 53.4 | |
| Democratic | Sheri A. Donahue | 25,977 | 46.6 | |
| Total votes | 55,706 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 38
Incumbent senator Dan Malano Seum won reelection, defeating primary and general election challengers.
Nominee
- Dan Malano Seum, incumbent senator
Eliminated in primary
- Paul Wesley Ham
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dan Malano Seum (incumbent) | 3,712 | 57.1 | |
| Republican | Paul Wesley Ham | 2,787 | 42.9 | |
| Total votes | 6,499 | 100.0 | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dan Malano Seum (incumbent) | 25,801 | 67.9 | |
| Independent | Brenda Sue "Susie" Board | 9,868 | 26.0 | |
| Write-in | Andrew Bailey | 2,329 | 6.1 | |
| Total votes | 37,998 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
References
- Schimmel, Becca (January 15, 2018). "Sen. Joe Bowen Won't Seek Re-election". WKMS. Retrieved May 7, 2024.