Seventeen Kentucky state legislative incumbents face primary contests in 2026, the fewest since 13 incumbents ran in contested 2020 primaries.
Thirteen of the contested incumbents are Republicans, and four are Democrats. Fourteen are state representatives, and three are state senators.
Kentucky has 40 contested state legislative primaries in 2026, down 5% from 2024.
Of these, 15 are contested Democratic primaries, and 25 are contested Republican primaries. For Democrats, this is a 6% decrease from 16 in 2024. Contested Republican primaries are down 4% from the 26 in 2024.
In total, 231 major party candidates filed to run. Eighty-six are Democrats, and 145 are Republicans. All 100 House seats and 19 of 38 Senate seats are up for election.
Ten seats are open, meaning no incumbents filed. This means newcomers will make up at least 7% of the legislature next year. The average number of open seats each cycle from 2010 to 2024 was 15.
Kentucky has had a divided government since 2019, when Gov. Andy Beshear (D) was elected. In the state House, Republicans have 80 seats, and Democrats have 20. In the state Senate, Republicans have 32 seats, and Democrats have six.
Kentucky will hold primaries on May 19, 2026.