2024 Kentucky Primary Election Results

Kentucky saw many contentious primary election races with results rolling in on Tuesday night.

Legislative retirements have left open seats and many incumbents saw challengers from their own party.

Some races saw very close results and could end up in a recanvass. The following reflects results as of Wednesday morning.

Rep. Killian Timoney was defeated in his Republican primary election by opponent Thomas Jefferson for the 45^th House District, which contains parts of Fayette and Jessamine counties. Jefferson will face Democrat Adam Moore this fall.

Sen. Adrienne Southworth lost in a three-way primary in the 7^th Senate District, where she came in third. The winner, Republican Aaron Reed, will face Democrat Rhonda Davis in the general election for the seat that encompasses Anderson, Henry, Shelby, and part of Jefferson counties.

In western Kentucky, Rep. Richard Heath narrowly lost his GOP primary race in the 2^nd House District to challenger Kimberly Holloway, who does not face a general opponent in November.

Incumbent lawmakers who won their primary re-election race include:

• Senate Minority Leader Gerald Neal (D)- 33rd Senate District
• Sen. Jason Howell (R) -1^st Senate District
• Sen. Stephen Meredith (R)- 5^th Senate District
• Sen. Johnnie L. Turner (R)- 29^th Senate District
• Rep. Josh Calloway (R)- 10^th House District
• Rep. Michael Meredith (R)- 19^th House District
• Rep. Daniel Grossberg (D)- 30^th House District
• Rep. Nima Kulkarni (D)- 40^th House District (This race has seen some legal challenges leading up to the election that could persist.)
• Rep. Beverly Chester-Burton (D)- 44^th House District
• Rep. Felicia Rabourn (R)- 47^th House District
• Rep. Thomas Huff (R)- 49^th House District
• Rep. Candy Massaroni (R)- 50^th House District
• Rep. Kim King (R)- 55^th House District
• Rep. Marianne Proctor (R)- 60^th House District
• Rep. Savannah Maddox (R)- 61^st House District
• Rep. Kim Moser (R)- 64^th House District
• Rep. Steven Doan (R)- 69th House District
• Rep. George Brown (D)- 77^th House District
• Rep. Tom O’dell Smith (R)- 86^th House District
• Rep. Timmy Truett (R)- 89^th House District
• Rep. Bill Wesley (R)- 91^st House District
• Rep. Adrielle Camuel (D)- 93^rd House District

Some of the incumbent legislators will face opposition from the other party in November.

Other race results :

• Matt Nunn (R) won the primary election in the 17^th Senate District, the open seat to replace retiring Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer containing Scott, Grant, and part of Kenton and Fayette counties.  Nunn will face Democrat Kiana Fields in November.
• Erika Hancock (D) won the Democratic primary to replace retiring House Minority Leader Derrick Graham in the 57^th District, representing a large portion of Franklin County. Hancock will go on to face Republican Kyle Thompson in the fall.
• Current Rep. Steve Rawlings will move to the state Senate after winning the Republican primary for the 11th Senate District, replacing retiring Sen. John Schickel in Boone County.
• Ryan Bivens (R) won in the 24^th House District, where recently sworn-in Rep. Courtney Gilbert, the sister of state Sen. Adrienne Southworth, currently holds the seat following former state Rep. Brandon Reed taking a post at the Department of Agriculture. Gilbert, however, did not register to run in the primary election so she will only serve through the end of the year. The district encompasses Green, Hart, and LaRue counties. Bivens will face Democrat Johnny Pennington in November.
• Republican Chris Lewis and Democrat Timothy Findley will face off in the general election race in Jefferson County for the 29^th House District seat to replace Rep. Kevin Bratcher, who is leaving to run for Louisville Metro Council, after they each won their three-way primary races Tuesday night.
• In another Louisville district, Colleen Davis (D) won the 31^st House District primary race and will face incumbent Republican Rep. Susan Witten in the fall.
• A tight Democratic primary race in the 36^th House District between Colin Daugherty-McDowell and William “Woody” Zorn was separated by 5 votes. The winner of that race will go on to face GOP Rep. John Hodgson in the fall.
• Former state Rep. Mary Lou Marzian may be heading back to Frankfort after winning the Democratic primary election in the 41^st House District. Current Rep. Josie Raymond, who is leaving the legislature to run for Louisville Metro Council, currently holds the seat. Marzian will face Republican Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell in the general election.
• Joshua Watkins (D) won the primary election in the 42^nd House District, also in Jefferson County, currently represented by Rep. Keturah Herron who is running unopposed for the 35^th Senate District. He will be unopposed in the general election.
• Kate Farrow (D) won the 48^th House District primary election and will challenge incumbent Rep. Ken Fleming in the fall.
• Chantel Bingham (D) won the 56^th House District primary election and will challenge incumbent Rep. Dan Fister in the fall.
• Tony Hampton (R) won the 62^nd House District primary election in Scott County to replace retiring Rep. Phillip Pratt. Hampton faces Democrat Kevin Kidwell in November.
• In northern Kentucky, T.J. Roberts (R) defeated former state Rep. Ed Massey in the 66th House District open-seat primary to replace Rep. Rawlings who ran for state Senate. Roberts will face Democrat Peggy Houston-Nienber in November.
• Terry Hatton won the Republican primary in the 67^th District in northern Kentucky where incumbent Rep. Rachel Roberts (D) is not seeking re-election. Hatton will face Democrat Matt Lehman in the fall.
• Anne Donworth (D) seems to be the winner of a tight three-way primary where she and Jamie Palumbo, the son of retiring Rep. Ruth Ann Palumbo, were separated by 150 votes in the 76^th House District in Fayette County as of Wednesday morning. The winner faces no opposition in November.
• Brandon Spencer (R) won the 95^th House District primary race and will challenge incumbent Rep. Ashley Tackett Lafferty (D) in the fall.
• Tammy Womack (D) won the primary election in the 98^th House District currently represented by retiring Rep. Danny Bentley. Womack faces Republican Aaron Thompson this fall.

On the national level, current President Joe Biden won the Democratic primary, and former President Donald Trump won the Republican primary. Incumbent Congressmen Morgan McGarvey (D), Thomas Massie (R), and Hal Rogers (R) each won their primary elections. Republican Mike Craven won a primary election to take on McGarvey in the 3^rd District, and Democrat Randy Cravens won in a large primary to challenge Republican Congressman Andy Barr in the 6^th District. Democrat Hank Linderman won the primary in the 2^nd Congressional District to take on Republican Congressman Brett Guthrie in November.

Stay tuned to The Bottom Line for more election news.