2022 Kentucky Senate election
The 2022 Kentucky Senate election was held on November 8, 2022. The Republican and Democratic primary elections were held on May 17. 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% 60–70% >90% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Kentucky |
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| Government |
A numbered map of the senate districts can be viewed here.
Overview
| Party | Candidates | Votes | % | Seats | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opposed | Unopposed | Before | Won | After | +/− | ||||||
| Republican | 10 | 8 | 500,535 | 75.48 | 30 | 17 | 31 | +1 | |||
| Democratic | 8 | 1 | 160,236 | 24.16 | 8 | 2 | 7 | -1 | |||
| Write-in | 2 | 0 | 2,348 | 0.35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | |||
| Total | 20 | 9 | 663,119 | 100.00 | 38 | 19 | 38 | ±0 | |||
| Source: Kentucky Secretary of State | |||||||||||
Retiring incumbents
A total of five senators (one Democrat and four Republicans) retired, none of whom ran for other offices.[1] Additionally, C. B. Embry resigned from the chamber in September 2022.
Democratic
- 10th: Dennis Parrett (Elizabethtown): Retired.
Republican
- 8th: Matt Castlen (Owensboro): Retired.
- 12th: Alice Forgy Kerr (Lexington): Retired.
- 20th: Paul Hornback (Shelbyville): Retired.
- 24th: Wil Schroder (Wilder): Retired.
Defeated incumbents
No incumbents lost renomination or reelection.
Summary by district
Certified results by the Kentucky Secretary of State are available online for the primary election and general election.
| District | Incumbent | Party | Elected | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Danny Carroll | Rep | Danny Carroll | Rep | ||
| 4 | Robby Mills | Rep | Robby Mills | Rep | ||
| 6 | Vacant | Lindsey Tichenor | Rep | |||
| 8 | Matt Castlen | Rep | Gary Boswell | Rep | ||
| 10 | Dennis Parrett | Dem | Matthew Deneen | Rep | ||
| 12 | Alice Forgy Kerr | Rep | Amanda Mays Bledsoe | Rep | ||
| 14 | Jimmy Higdon | Rep | Jimmy Higdon | Rep | ||
| 16 | Max Wise | Rep | Max Wise | Rep | ||
| 18 | Robin L. Webb | Dem | Robin L. Webb | Dem | ||
| 20 | Paul Hornback | Rep | Gex Williams | Rep | ||
| 22 | Donald Douglas | Rep | Donald Douglas | Rep | ||
| 24 | Wil Schroder | Rep | Shelley Funke Frommeyer | Rep | ||
| 26 | Karen Berg | Dem | Karen Berg | Dem | ||
| 28 | Ralph Alvarado | Rep | Ralph Alvarado | Rep | ||
| 30 | Brandon Smith | Rep | Brandon Smith | Rep | ||
| 32 | Mike Wilson | Rep | Mike Wilson | Rep | ||
| 34 | Jared Carpenter | Rep | Jared Carpenter | Rep | ||
| 36 | Julie Raque Adams | Rep | Julie Raque Adams | Rep | ||
| 38 | Mike Nemes | Rep | Mike Nemes | Rep | ||
Crossover seats
Democratic
Two districts voted for Donald Trump in 2020 but had Democratic incumbents:
| District | Incumbent | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Trump margin of victory in 2020 |
Member | Party | Incumbent margin of victory in 2018 |
| 10 | R+24.20 | Dennis Parrett | Democratic | Unopposed |
| 18 | R+44.78 | Robin L. Webb | Democratic | D+15.54 |
Republican
None.
Closest races
There were no seats where the margin of victory was under 10%.
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[2] | Safe R | May 19, 2022 |
Special elections
District 22 special
Donald Douglas was elected in November 2021 following the death of Tom Buford.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Donald Douglas | 9,733 | 71.5 | ||
| Democratic | Helen Bukulmez | 3,725 | 27.4 | ||
| Write-in | Sindicat Dunn | 150 | 1.1 | ||
| Total votes | 13,608 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
District 2
Incumbent senator Danny Carroll won reelection unopposed.
Nominee
- Danny Carroll, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Danny Carroll | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 34,951 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
District 4
Incumbent senator Robby Mills won reelection, defeating primary and general election challengers.
Nominee
- Bruce Pritchett
Nominee
- Robby Mills, incumbent senator
Eliminated in primary
- Roxan Lynn Ashby
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robby Mills | 4,007 | 78.0 | |
| Republican | Roxan Lynn Ashby | 1,132 | 22.0 | |
| Total votes | 5,139 | 100.0 | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robby Mills | 25,141 | 66.6 | |
| Democratic | Bruce Pritchett | 12,585 | 33.4 | |
| Total votes | 37,726 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 6
Incumbent senator C. B. Embry resigned from the senate in September 2022. He was succeeded by Republican Lindsey Tichenor.
Nominee
Eliminated in primary
- Bill Ferko
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Lindsey Tichenor | 6,601 | 54.0 | |
| Republican | Bill Ferko | 5,616 | 46.0 | |
| Total votes | 12,217 | 100.0 | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Lindsey Tichenor | 31,111 | 94.5 | |
| Write-in | Brian J. Easley | 1,797 | 5.5 | |
| Total votes | 32,908 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 8
Incumbent senator Matt Castlen did not seek reelection.[1] He was succeeded by Republican Gary Boswell.
Nominee
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Gary Boswell | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 29,630 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
District 10
Incumbent Democratic senator Dennis Parrett did not seek reelection.[1] He was succeeded by Republican Matthew Deneen. This was the only seat to change parties in 2022.
Nominee
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Matthew Deneen | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 23,606 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican gain from Democratic | |||||
District 12
Incumbent senator Alice Forgy Kerr did not seek reelection.[1] She was succeeded by Republican Amanda Mays Bledsoe.
Nominee
- Bill O’Brien
Nominee
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Amanda Mays Bledsoe | 29,181 | 60.5 | |
| Democratic | Bill O’Brien | 19,046 | 39.5 | |
| Total votes | 48,227 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 14
Incumbent senator Jimmy Higdon won reelection unopposed.
Nominee
- Jimmy Higdon, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jimmy Higdon | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 33,142 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
District 16
Incumbent senator Max Wise won reelection unopposed.
Nominee
- Max Wise, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Max Wise | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 31,887 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
District 18
Incumbent senator Robin L. Webb won reelection unopposed.
Nominee
- Robin L. Webb, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robin L. Webb | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 23,308 | 100.0 | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
District 20
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Precinct results Williams: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% Barton: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent senator Paul Hornback did not seek reelection.[1] He was succeeded by Republican Gex Williams.
Nominee
- Teresa Azbill Barton
Nominee
Eliminated in primary
- Phyllis Sparks
- Calen Studler
- Mike Templeman
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Gex Williams | 3,332 | 42.3 | |
| Republican | Phyllis Sparks | 1,836 | 23.3 | |
| Republican | Calen Studler | 1,452 | 18.4 | |
| Republican | Mike Templeman | 1,263 | 16.0 | |
| Total votes | 7,883 | 100.0 | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Gex Williams | 22,166 | 56.3 | |
| Democratic | Teresa Azbill Barton | 17,206 | 43.7 | |
| Total votes | 39,372 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 22
Incumbent senator Donald Douglas won reelection, defeating primary and general election challengers.
Nominee
- Chuck Eddy
Nominee
- Donald Douglas, incumbent senator
Eliminated in primary
- Andrew Cooperrider
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Donald Douglas | 6,114 | 55.8 | |
| Republican | Andrew Cooperrider | 4,840 | 44.2 | |
| Total votes | 10,954 | 100.0 | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Donald Douglas | 23,486 | 59.7 | |
| Democratic | Chuck Eddy | 15,843 | 40.3 | |
| Total votes | 39,329 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 24
Incumbent senator Wil Schroder did not seek reelection.[1] He was succeeded by Republican Shelley Funke Frommeyer.
Nominee
- Rene Heinrich
Nominee
Eliminated in primary
- Jessica Neal
- Chris Robinson
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Shelley Funke Frommeyer | 4,094 | 38.6 | |
| Republican | Jessica Neal | 3,787 | 35.7 | |
| Republican | Chris Robinson | 2,731 | 25.7 | |
| Total votes | 10,612 | 100.0 | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Shelley Funke Frommeyer | 27,346 | 61.7 | |
| Democratic | Rene Heinrich | 16,960 | 38.3 | |
| Total votes | 44,306 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 26
Incumbent senator Karen Berg won reelection, defeating Republican James Peden.
Nominee
- Karen Berg, incumbent senator
Nominee
- James Peden
Eliminated in primary
- Everett Corley
- Mark Hignite Downer
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | James Peden | 2,774 | 42.6 | |
| Republican | Mark Hignite Downer | 2,368 | 36.4 | |
| Republican | Everett Corley | 1,370 | 21.0 | |
| Total votes | 6,512 | 100.0 | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Karen Berg | 28,850 | 60.5 | |
| Republican | James Peden | 18,859 | 39.5 | |
| Total votes | 47,709 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
District 28
Incumbent senator Ralph Alvarado won reelection, defeating write-in candidate Joshua D. Buckman.
Nominee
- Ralph Alvarado, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ralph Alvarado | 27,097 | 98.0 | |
| Write-in | Joshua D. Buckman | 551 | 2.0 | |
| Total votes | 27,648 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 30
Incumbent senator Brandon Smith won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Sid Allen.
Nominee
- Sid Allen
Eliminated in primary
- Terry V. Salyer
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sid Allen | 7,148 | 56.7 | |
| Democratic | Terry V. Salyer | 5,468 | 43.3 | |
| Total votes | 12,616 | 100.0 | ||
Nominee
- Brandon Smith, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Brandon Smith | 25,581 | 73.7 | |
| Democratic | Sid Allen | 9,116 | 26.3 | |
| Total votes | 34,697 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 32
Incumbent senator Mike Wilson won reelection unopposed.
Nominee
- Mike Wilson, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Wilson | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 28,682 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
District 34
Incumbent senator Jared Carpenter won reelection, defeating primary and general election challengers.
Nominee
- Susan Cintra
Nominee
- Jared Carpenter, incumbent senator
Eliminated in primary
- Rhonda Goode
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jared Carpenter | 6,086 | 75.6 | |
| Republican | Rhonda Goode | 1,964 | 24.4 | |
| Total votes | 8,050 | 100.0 | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jared Carpenter | 25,049 | 59.1 | |
| Democratic | Susan Cintra | 17,322 | 40.9 | |
| Total votes | 42,371 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
District 36
Incumbent senator Julie Raque Adams won reelection unopposed.
Nominee
- Julie Raque Adams, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Julie Raque Adams | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 36,851 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
District 38
Incumbent senator Mike Nemes won reelection unopposed.
Nominee
- Mike Nemes, incumbent senator
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Nemes | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 26,769 | 100.0 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
References
- Clark, Jess (April 15, 2022). "Here are the 20 lawmakers retiring from the Ky. General Assembly". The Courier Journal. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- Jacobson, Louis (May 19, 2022). "The Battle for State Legislatures". Retrieved May 19, 2022.