Kentucky counties with higher primary turnout could strongly influence the 2026 U.S. Senate election. Should campaigns pay more attention to them?

Voters will decide who will fill the empty state Senate seat of interim Jefferson County Clerk David Yates in December, Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams announced Oct. 10. According to a post made on X, a special election to fill the seat for District 37 will take place Dec. 16.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky will hold a special election in December to fill a state Senate seat from Louisville. It's for a vacancy left by David Yates' appointment as Jefferson County clerk .

The date has been set for a special election to fill the Kentucky Senate District 37 seat. The position was recently vacated by David Yates, who was named interim Jefferson County Clerk following the death of longtime Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw.

Democrats used to be the party of everyday people, but rural KY voters have fled in droves. Another Amy McGrath campaign won't bring them back.

Lexington, Ky. Tasha Poullard [email protected] Councilman David Sevigny will not seek re-election in 2026 Sevigny led solar and street-safety policy efforts and will serve through 2026. Planner Chris Woodall filed to run for District 10 A Lexington councilman who has helped shepherd and make changes to the city’s energy and safe streets policies has announced he won’t seek re-election.

Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie now has a primary opponent. The outspoken House member has been the subject of a well-financed opposition campaign by Trump allies looking to unseat the lawmaker.

Several Laurel Countians have recently announced their intentions to run in the 2026 election. Judge-Executive Walter T. Hulett, who spent 43 years in education before stepping into politics, has launched his campaign for Laurel County Judge-Executive — a position currently held by David Westerfield.

Kentucky Secretary of State Michael G. Adams is one of the few public officials who's found a way to address both election security and ballot access concerns.

Two more big contributions this summer from special interests — $100,000 from Beam Suntory and $75,000 from Boeing — brought the total raised by the Republican Party of Kentucky to expand its state headquarters to $4.