LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- As Kentuckians prepare for one of the most consequential elections in recent memory, residents across the Commonwealth will cast their votes for numerous races.
The state's primaries will be held May 19, followed by the general election Nov. 3, to decide races ranging from an open U.S. Senate seat to city leadership and state legislative contests.
Here's a look at some of the most consequential races.
Open U.S. Senate seat shakes up statewide politics
The headline contest of the 2026 cycle is the open U.S. Senate race created by the retirement of Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, who is not seeking re-election after more than 40 years in office.
Republican candidates:
- Andy Barr: U.S. representative for Kentucky’s 6th District running for Senate
- Daniel Cameron: former Kentucky attorney general (R)
- Nate Morris: businessman (R)
- Mike Faris: candidate (R)
- Wende Kennedy: candidate (R)
- Andrew Shelley: candidate (R)
Democratic candidates:
- Amy McGrath: former Marine fighter pilot and 2020 Senate nominee
- Charles Booker: Louisville native and former state representative
- Pamela Stevenson: state representative from Louisville
- Logan Forsythe: attorney and former Secret Service agent (D)
- Joel Willett: former CIA officer (D)
- Jared Randall: candidate (D)
- Dale Romans: horse trainer and candidate (D)
- Vincent Thompson: candidate (D)
Kentucky’s Senate primary winners will advance to the November contest for a seat Republicans have held for decades.
U.S. House — Louisville's 3rd District and beyond
All six of Kentucky’s House seats are on the ballot in 2026. In Louisville, the 3rd Congressional District includes most of Jefferson County. Incumbent Democrat Morgan McGarvey is running to retain his seat.
Declared in KY-03:
- Morgan McGarvey: incumbent (D)
- Jared Randall: filed paperwork (I)
- Oumou Diallo: independent filer
Other congressional districts — including the 6th where incumbent Andy Barr is vacating to run for Senate — have drawn competitive fields. Candidates in those districts are still emerging.
State legislature
Statewide, all 100 seats in the Kentucky House of Representatives and half of the Kentucky Senate are up for election, setting the stage for potential shifts in legislative control.
Louisville Mayoral Race
In Louisville, changes to state election laws have created the city’s first nonpartisan mayoral election in 2026.
Filed candidates for Louisville mayor include:
- Craig Greenberg: incumbent mayor seeking re-election
- Shameka Parrish-Wright: filed for mayor (nonpartisan)
- Bob DeVore: filed for mayor (nonpartisan)
- Matthew Soloman Bailey: filed for mayor (nonpartisan)
- Jeff Yocum — filed for mayor (nonpartisan)
Greenberg has signaled his intent to seek a second term, focusing his campaign on public safety, economic development and housing.
Louisville Metro Council
Elections for Louisville Metro Council seats are also on the 2026 ballot. Under new rules, council races are nonpartisan, with odd-numbered districts up for election.
Candidates in those districts are still finalizing filings, but voters will see contests in councils including Districts 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23 and 25.
For both the mayoral race and metro council races, candidates will run together on a single ballot in May, and the top two vote-getters will advance to the general election in November.
"I think it's going to be pretty interesting to see how the strategies of those candidates change to get their votes in, but it won't be a Republican primary and Democratic primary," Kentucky Sec. of State Michael Adams told WDRB. "Any voter in the district can vote for any candidate for the office."
Judicial and other local races
Beyond legislative and local government contests, Kentucky voters will decide judicial elections, including district court and appellate seats, and county offices such as judges/executives, clerks, sheriffs and school boards in Jefferson County and beyond.
Key dates for voters
- Primary Election: May 19, 2026: partisan primaries for federal and state contests; nonpartisan primary for local Louisville races.
- General Election: Nov. 3, 2026: final vote on all statewide, federal and municipal offices.
As the 2026 cycle unfolds, candidates in Louisville and statewide will ramp up campaigns on issues ranging from economic growth and healthcare to public safety and education, with voters in the city and Commonwealth poised to make their voices heard.
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