2020 Kentucky Senate election
The 2020 Kentucky Senate election was held on November 3, 2020. The Republican and Democratic primary elections were held on June 23. Half of the senate seats (all odd-numbered seats) were up for election. Republicans increased their majority in the chamber, gaining two seats.
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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% 80–90% >90% >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 | 11 | 3 | 532,205 | 59.01 | 28 | 14 | 30 | +2 | |||
| Democratic | 9 | 4 | 340,042 | 37.70 | 10 | 5 | 8 | -2 | |||
| Libertarian | 3 | 0 | 20,927 | 2.32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | |||
| Independent | 2 | 0 | 8,423 | 0.93 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | |||
| Write-in | 3 | 0 | 268 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | |||
| Total | 28 | 7 | 901,865 | 100.00 | 38 | 19 | 38 | ±0 | |||
| Source: Kentucky Secretary of State | |||||||||||
Retiring incumbents
A total of three senators (two Democrats and one Republican) retired, none of whom ran for other offices.
Democratic
- 7th: Julian M. Carroll (Frankfort): Retired
- 37th: Perry B. Clark (Louisville): Retired
Republican
- 1st: Stan Humphries (Cadiz): Retired
Incumbents defeated
One incumbent lost renomination in the primary election, and one incumbent lost reelection in the general election.
Republicans
One Republican lost renomination.
- 21st: Albert Robinson (first elected in 1994) lost renomination to Brandon J. Storm, who won the general election.
Democrats
One Democrat lost reelection to a Republican.
- 29th: Johnny Ray Turner (first elected in 2000) lost to Johnnie L. Turner.
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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stan Humphries† | Rep | Jason G. Howell | Rep | ||
| 3 | Whitney H. Westerfield | Rep | Whitney H. Westerfield | Rep | ||
| 5 | Stephen L. Meredith | Rep | Stephen L. Meredith | Rep | ||
| 7 | Julian M. Carroll† | Dem | Adrienne E. Southworth | Rep | ||
| 9 | David P. Givens | Rep | David P. Givens | Rep | ||
| 11 | John Schickel | Rep | John Schickel | Rep | ||
| 13 | Reginald Thomas | Dem | Reginald Thomas | Dem | ||
| 15 | Rick Girdler | Rep | Rick Girdler | Rep | ||
| 17 | Damon Thayer | Rep | Damon Thayer | Rep | ||
| 19 | Morgan McGarvey | Dem | Morgan McGarvey | Dem | ||
| 21 | Albert Robinson | Rep | Brandon Jackson Storm | Rep | ||
| 23 | Chris McDaniel | Rep | Chris McDaniel | Rep | ||
| 25 | Robert Stivers | Rep | Robert Stivers | Rep | ||
| 27 | Steve West | Rep | Steve West | Rep | ||
| 29 | Johnny Ray Turner | Dem | Johnnie L. Turner | Rep | ||
| 31 | Phillip Wheeler | Rep | Phillip Wheeler | Rep | ||
| 33 | Gerald A. Neal | Dem | Gerald A. Neal | Dem | ||
| 35 | Denise Harper Angel | Dem | Denise Harper Angel | Dem | ||
| 37 | Perry B. Clark† | Dem | David Yates | Dem | ||
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 2016 |
| 7 | R+24.18 | Julian M. Carroll | Democratic | Unopposed |
| 29 | R+58.30 | Johnny Ray Turner | Democratic | Unopposed |
| 37 | R+5.54 | Perry B. Clark | Democratic | Unopposed |
Republican
None.
Closest races
Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:
- District 29, 6.80% (gain)
- District 7, 9.48% (gain)
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[1] | Solid R | October 21, 2020 |
Special elections
District 31 special
Phillip Wheeler was elected in March 2019 following the resignation of Ray Jones II.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Phillip Wheeler | 6,188 | 52.3 | ||
| Democratic | Darrell Pugh | 5,649 | 47.7 | ||
| Total votes | 11,837 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican gain from Democratic | |||||
District 38 special
Mike Nemes was elected in January 2020 following the resignation of Dan Seum.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Nemes | 8,637 | 63.6 | ||
| Democratic | Andrew Bailey | 4,943 | 36.4 | ||
| Total votes | 13,580 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
District 26 special
Karen Berg was elected in June 2020 following the resignation of Ernie Harris.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Karen Berg | 24,771 | 57.0 | ||
| Republican | Bill Ferko | 18,705 | 43.0 | ||
| Total votes | 43,476 | 100.0 | |||
| Democratic gain from Republican | |||||
District 1
Incumbent senator Stan Humphries did not seek reelection. He was succeeded by Republican Jason G. Howell.
Nominee
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jason G. Howell | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 40,128 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
District 3
Incumbent senator Whitney H. Westerfield won reelection, defeating Libertarian candidate Amanda Billings.
Nominee
- Whitney H. Westerfield, incumbent senator
Libertarian party
- Amanda Billings
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Whitney H. Westerfield (incumbent) | 29,640 | 78.4 | |
| Libertarian | Amanda Billings | 8,157 | 21.6 | |
| Total votes | 37,797 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 5
Incumbent senator Stephen L. Meredith won reelection, defeating Independent and Libertarian candidates.
Nominee
- Stephen L. Meredith, incumbent senator
Independent candidates
- John Whipple
Libertarian party
- Guy M. Miller
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Stephen L. Meredith (incumbent) | 43,385 | 82.0 | |
| Independent | John Whipple | 5,724 | 10.8 | |
| Libertarian | Guy M. Miller | 3,781 | 7.1 | |
| Total votes | 52,890 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 7
Incumbent senator Julian M. Carroll did not seek reelection. He was succeeded by Republican Adrienne E. Southworth.
Nominee
- Joe Graviss, representative from the 56th district (2019–2021)
Nominee
Eliminated in primary
- Cleaver Kirk Crawford
- Katie Howard
- Calen Studler
- Linda Thompson
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Adrienne E. Southworth | 3,701 | 31.1 | |
| Republican | Katie Howard | 3,157 | 26.5 | |
| Republican | Calen Studler | 2,697 | 22.7 | |
| Republican | Linda Thompson | 1,952 | 16.4 | |
| Republican | Cleaver Kirk Crawford | 390 | 3.3 | |
| Total votes | 11,897 | 100.0 | ||
Independent candidates
- Ken Carroll
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Adrienne E. Southworth | 33,187 | 52.6 | |
| Democratic | Joe Graviss | 27,205 | 43.1 | |
| Independent | Ken Carroll | 2,699 | 4.3 | |
| Total votes | 63,091 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
Results by county
| County | Adrienne E. Southworth | Joe Graviss | Ken Carroll | Margin | Total votes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Anderson | 8,862 | 68.20 | 3,744 | 28.81 | 388 | 2.99 | 5,118 | 39.39 | 12,994 |
| Franklin | 10,731 | 41.45 | 13,562 | 52.39 | 1,594 | 6.16 | -2,831 | -10.94 | 25,887 |
| Gallatin | 2,650 | 70.27 | 931 | 24.69 | 190 | 5.04 | 1,719 | 45.58 | 3,771 |
| Owen | 3,994 | 74.72 | 1,163 | 21.76 | 188 | 3.52 | 2,831 | 52.97 | 5,345 |
| Woodford | 6,950 | 46.04 | 7,805 | 51.71 | 339 | 2.25 | -855 | -5.66 | 15,094 |
| Total | 33,187 | 52.60 | 27,205 | 43.12 | 2,699 | 4.28 | 5,982 | 9.48 | 63,091 |
District 9
Incumbent senator David P. Givens won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Brian Pedigo.
Nominee
- Brian Pedigo
Nominee
- David P. Givens, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | David P. Givens (incumbent) | 41,555 | 78.5 | |
| Democratic | Brian Pedigo | 11,356 | 21.5 | |
| Total votes | 52,911 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 11
Incumbent senator John Schickel won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate James Fiorelli.
Nominee
- James Fiorelli
Nominee
- John Schickel, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Schickel (incumbent) | 46,463 | 70.4 | |
| Democratic | James Fiorelli | 19,496 | 29.6 | |
| Total votes | 65,959 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 13
Incumbent senator Reginald Thomas won reelection, defeating write-in candidate Matt E. Miniard.
Nominee
- Reginald Thomas, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Reginald Thomas (incumbent) | 36,345 | 99.8 | |
| Write-in | Matt E. Miniard | 55 | 0.2 | |
| Total votes | 36,400 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 15
Incumbent senator Rick Girdler won reelection, defeating primary election challenger Larry Sears Nichols.
Nominee
- Rick Girdler, incumbent senator
Eliminated in primary
- Larry Sears Nichols
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Rick Girdler (incumbent) | 14,140 | 78.3 | |
| Republican | Larry Sears Nichols | 3,923 | 21.7 | |
| Total votes | 18,063 | 100.0 | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Rick Girdler (incumbent) | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 47,098 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
District 17
Incumbent senator Damon Thayer won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Jason Stroude.
Nominee
- Jason Stroude
Nominee
- Damon Thayer, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Damon Thayer (incumbent) | 44,772 | 69.3 | |
| Democratic | Jason Stroude | 19,852 | 30.7 | |
| Total votes | 64,624 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 19
Incumbent senator Morgan McGarvey won reelection unopposed.
Nominee
- Morgan McGarvey, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Morgan McGarvey (incumbent) | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 50,867 | 100.0 | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
District 21
Incumbent Republican senator Albert Robinson was defeated for renomination by Brandon Jackson Storm.
Nominee
- Walter Trebolo III
Nominee
Eliminated in primary
- Kay Hensley
- Albert Robinson, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Brandon Jackson Storm | 6,875 | 38.7 | |
| Republican | Albert Robinson (incumbent) | 6,131 | 34.5 | |
| Republican | Kay Hensley | 4,756 | 26.8 | |
| Total votes | 17,762 | 100.0 | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Brandon Jackson Storm | 44,099 | 82.4 | |
| Democratic | Walter Trebolo III | 9,447 | 17.6 | |
| Total votes | 53,546 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 23
Incumbent senator Chris McDaniel won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Ryan Olexia.
Nominee
- Ryan Olexia
Nominee
- Chris McDaniel, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Chris McDaniel (incumbent) | 32,188 | 57.7 | |
| Democratic | Ryan Olexia | 23,623 | 42.3 | |
| Total votes | 55,811 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 25
Incumbent senator Robert Stivers won reelection unopposed.
Nominee
- Robert Stivers, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert Stivers (incumbent) | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 37,141 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
District 27
Incumbent senator Steve West won reelection, defeating Libertarian and write-in candidates.
Nominee
- Steve West, incumbent senator
Libertarian party
- Bryan Shumate Short
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Steve West (incumbent) | 38,370 | 80.7 | |
| Libertarian | Bryan Shumate Short | 8,989 | 18.9 | |
| Write-in | Yvonne Baldwin | 166 | 0.3 | |
| Write-in | Gene Barry Detherage Jr. | 47 | 0.1 | |
| Total votes | 47,572 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 29
Incumbent senator Johnny Ray Turner was defeated for reelection by Republican Johnnie L. Turner.
Nominee
- Johnny Ray Turner, incumbent senator
Nominee
- Johnnie L. Turner, representative from the 88th district (1999–2003)
Eliminated in primary
- Matthew Wynn
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Johnnie L. Turner | 3,552 | 69.9 | |
| Republican | Matthew Wynn | 1,527 | 30.1 | |
| Total votes | 5,079 | 100.0 | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Johnnie L. Turner | 22,475 | 53.4 | |
| Democratic | Johnny Ray Turner (incumbent) | 19,612 | 46.6 | |
| Total votes | 42,087 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
Results by county
| County | Johnnie L. Turner | Johnny Ray Turner | Margin | Total votes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Floyd | 6,097 | 37.50 | 10,161 | 62.50 | -4,064 | -25.00 | 16,258 |
| Harlan | 8,431 | 78.49 | 2,310 | 21.51 | 6,121 | 56.99 | 10,741 |
| Knott | 3,047 | 49.62 | 3,094 | 50.38 | -47 | -0.77 | 6,141 |
| Letcher | 4,900 | 54.77 | 4,047 | 45.23 | 853 | 9.53 | 8,947 |
| Total | 22,475 | 53.40 | 19,612 | 46.60 | 2,863 | 6.80 | 42,087 |
District 31
Incumbent senator Phillip Wheeler won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Glenn Martin Hammond.
Nominee
- Glenn Martin Hammond
Eliminated in primary
- Scott Sykes
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Glenn Martin Hammond | 5,559 | 59.2 | |
| Democratic | Scott Sykes | 3,836 | 40.8 | |
| Total votes | 9,395 | 100.0 | ||
Nominee
- Phillip Wheeler, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Phillip Wheeler (incumbent) | 31,704 | 72.2 | |
| Democratic | Glenn Martin Hammond | 12,196 | 27.8 | |
| Total votes | 43,900 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 33
Incumbent senator Gerald A. Neal won reelection unopposed.
Nominee
- Gerald A. Neal, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gerald A. Neal (incumbent) | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 38,520 | 100.0 | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
District 35
Incumbent senator Denise Harper Angel won reelection unopposed.
Nominee
- Denise Harper Angel, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Denise Harper Angel (incumbent) | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 37,358 | 100.0 | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
District 37
Incumbent senator Perry B. Clark did not seek reelection. He was succeeded by Democrat David Yates.
Nominee
Eliminated in primary
- Katie Brophy
- Garrett A. Dean
- Di Tran
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | David Yates | 10,946 | 67.0 | |
| Democratic | Katie Brophy | 2,708 | 16.6 | |
| Democratic | Garrett A. Dean | 1,345 | 8.2 | |
| Democratic | Di Tran | 1,343 | 8.2 | |
| Total votes | 16,342 | 100.0 | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | David Yates | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 34,165 | 100.0 | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
References
- "October Overview: Handicapping the 2020 State Legislature Races". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved April 26, 2024.