Primary opponent of Louisville state representative disqualified from race files lawsuit

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- There's a new twist in the ongoing legal battle for a Louisville seat in the statehouse.

It comes after the Kentucky Supreme Court set aside the results of the primary election in District 40 — the seat held by Democrat Nima Kulkarni.

An error on her filing paperwork disqualified her from the race. She needed two signatures from voters of the same party to support her candidacy, but one of Kulkarni's was registered Republican.

She won the primary in a landslide, and no Republican candidates ran for her House district. But those results don't count. Secretary of State Michael Adams said the high court's decision means no election occurred. That means both parties will be able to put up a candidate for House District 40 in November, according to Adams.

Last month, the state's high court upheld its decision, saying Kulkarni didn't follow the law.

Her primary opponent, William Zeitz, has since filed suit against Kulkarni and Adams. It aims to block Adams' decision declaring a vacancy in the race.

Democrats re-nominated Kulkarni over Zeitz.

Kulkarni beat a 20-year incumbent in Dennis Horlander to win this seat in 2018. He's also the one who challenged her candidacy, getting her disqualified from the race.

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