A special election to fill the vacant District 18 seat in the Kentucky House of Representatives is scheduled for November 5. Political party county executive committees had until September 17 to select their nominees, and they chose Becky Miller (D) and Samara Heavrin (R) to run in the general election.

 

The seat became vacant after Tim Moore (R) resigned on September 10, 2019, citing his belief in term limits and plan to transition into a Christian ministry role.

 

As of September, 76 state legislative special elections have been scheduled or held in 24 states. Between 2011 and 2018, an average of 77 special elections took place each year.

 

Entering the special election, the Kentucky House of Representatives has 39 Democrats, 59 Republicans, and two vacancies. A majority in the chamber requires 51 seats. Kentucky has a Republican trifecta. A state government trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and both state legislative chambers.