Wednesday October 15, 2025
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This year’s General Election in Kentucky not only has a very important US Senate Seat race happening, there are also many elections that directly effect Louisville. There are multiple US House of Representative seats being contested, as well as many Kentucky State Congress seats and a lot of judicial seats. More information on the US Senate race and voter registration is available on Louisville Dispatch website.
For people living in Louisville, the following is a list of the legislative elections and some of the judicial elections that will be happening within the county (there are so many judicial positions this year that the list below will only show the positions that have an actual contest). You will need to check your voter registration card to determine the district in which you are located. You will be able to view a sample ballot for your location on the Jefferson County election center website. Each district may have additional items on their ballot, such as School Board, Sheriff and Coroner.
2014 is going to be an important election no matter which way you lean politically. One of the most discussed races for Kentuckians this year is the senate seat that is currently held by veteran Mitch McConnell (R). McConnell is seeking his fifth term in office for the seat he has held in Kentucky since 1984. McConnell was a strong winner in the primary with around 60% of the votes.
His biggest contender is the democrat candidate, Alison Lundergan Grimes. Grimes is currently the Kentucky Secretary of State, which she has held since 2012. She was the strong favorite in the May primary election, and if elected, this would be her first term in a federal position. The next contender for McConnell’s seat is libertarian candidate, David Patterson. Patterson is currently a peace officer in the city of Harrodsburg. If elected, this would be his first term in any office.
There are also three write-in candidates vying for your votes this year. Shawna Sterling (R) ran in the May primary election on the republican ticket, where she came in third with over 7,000 votes. Robert Randsell is also running and he currently lives in Florence, KY. He has recently received a lot of national press over his campaign slogan “With Jews, We Lose”. Mike Maggard is third write-in candidate running for office against McConnell (R) this year and he currently lives in Richmond, KY. There appears to be very little information about Mr. Maggard available, but his campaign slogan is “Balanced Budget, Low Taxes, and Liberty”.
With a diverse group of candidates running this year, it should be interesting to see how the candidates campaign. Unless you avoid television, you have probably already seen the steady stream of McConnell and Grimes commercials. There is a debate scheduled for October 13th, but it is likely that we only see McConnell and Grimes participate. Patterson is currently suing the Kentucky Educational TV station to participate in the debate. With a restriction on pre-election poll support (a minimum of 5% support is needed), it is unclear at this time if any of the write-in candidates will meet that criterion.
The General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 4th. Voting locations will be open from 6 AM until 6 PM. To determine if you are registered to vote and where you should vote, visit the Voter Information Center. To learn more about your rights as voter, visit the informational page on the Secretary of State’s website.
Republican US Senate Race
| MITCH MCCONNELL | 205,006 | 60% |
| MATT BEVIN | 122,037 | 36% |
| SHAWNA STERLING | 6,934 | 2% |
| CHRIS PAYNE | 5,164 | 2% |
| BRAD COPAS | 2,622 | 1% |
Democrat US Senate Race
| ALISON LUNDERGAN GRIMES | 298,740 | 76% |
| GREGORY LEICHTY | 31,902 | 8% |
| BURREL FARNSLEY | 31,461 | 8% |
| TOM RECKTENWALD | 29,030 | 7% |
The May 20 Primary Elections are fast approaching. Do you know who is going to be on your ballot? Find your candidates for select Kentucky and Indiana precincts below.
Update: Primary Results Are In.
Kentucky Primary Candidates
US Senate
- Burrel Charles Farnsley (D)
- Alison Lundergan Grimes (D)
- Greg Leichty (D)
- Tom Recktenwald (D)
- Matt Bevin (R)
- Brad Copas (R)
- Mitch McConnell (R)
- Chris Payne (R)
- Shawna Sterling (R)
US House of Representatives
- 2nd District
- Ron Leach (D)
- Brett Guthrie (R)
- 3rd District
- Ray Pierce (D)
- John Yarmuth (D)
- Michael Macfarlane (R)
- 4th District
- Peter Newberry (D)
- Thomas Massie (R)
It’s that time of year again: election time. This year, the primaries in Kentucky will be held on May 20. There is a US Senate position, multiple US House of Representative positions, and various state positions being contested this year. Check back in the near future for follow-up articles about the different elections that will have an impact on Louisville.
It might sound cliché, but it is a citizen’s right and duty to vote in elections. If you want to vote in the Primary election in May, the deadline to register is April 21. If you are not registered to vote, there are a few eligibility requirements that need to be met. To be eligible to vote, you need to:
- be a US Citizen and a KY resident for at least 28 days prior to the election
- be at least 18 years old by the general election in October
- not be a convicted felon
- not have been judged mentally incompetent in a court of law
- not have claimed the right vote elsewhere in the US
If these requirements are met, there are a few different places that voters can complete registration, such as the County Clerk’s office, the DMV, and through a mail card.
What else should you know about voting in Kentucky?
- You must register with a party. Kentucky has closed primaries; this means voters can only vote in the primary election of the party with which they are registered. It also means that if you select “Other,” you can only vote in nonpartisan city and judicial primaries.
- If you are unable to vote on election day, you have a few options. You may qualify for a mailed absentee ballot. If you don’t qualify for a paper ballot, you may still be eligible to vote early at the County Clerk’s office in the 2 weeks leading up to the election. For a complete list of eligiblity requirements, see the State Board of Elections webpage.
- Voters must provide identification at the polling location. Acceptable forms of identification are: Driver’s License, Social Security Card, a credit card or another ID containing a photo and a signature. If you do not have identification, you have the right to vote on a provisional ballot. Provisional voting is for Federal elections only and will not include any state or city election information.
- If a voter’s name does not appear in the register at their polling location, they have the right to have an immediate hearing at the county board of elections and to vote on a provisional ballot.
- If voters need assistance at the voting location, the poll workers are there to help. Voters may notify one of the election officers at their location that they need help, and the voter should expect to be helped by two officers: one Democrat and one Republican, to ensure unbiased assistance.
As a reminder, it against the law for a voter to impersonate another person to vote, to vote under a false name, to vote more than once in an election. It is also unlawful for any person or group to influence a voter’s decision through force, threat, menace, intimidation, bribery, or reward. If a voter feels that their right to vote has been violated, they should contact the County or State Board of Elections, the Attorney General’s Election Fraud Hotline, or notify any of the elections officers are their polling location.
