With a sparse 12.7 percent voter turnout, the 2024 Primary Election saw state Sen. Steve Meredith comfortably hold off a challenger, and President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump each earn wide victories.
Hank Linderman, a Democrat from Falls of Rough, won the U.S. House District 2 primary 12,508 (57.4%) votes to William Dakota Compton’s 9,303 (42.6%) votes. Linderman will face incumbent GOP Congressman Brett Guthrie in November.
Meredith, R-Leitchfield, beat Thomas Ballinger 5,973 (71.8%) votes to 2,344 (28.2%) to win the GOP’s 5th Senatorial District.
Other races:
Biden, Trump secure presidential nominations
President Joe Biden secured the Democratic nomination for President with 73.4% of the vote, and former President Donald Trump secured the Republican nomination with 84.4% of the vote over Nikki Haley.
Even after they secured the nominations and their rivals dropped out, Biden and Trump have continued facing dissent from within their own parties. Biden has faced protest votes over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war while Trump is still seeing thousands of people voting for long-vanquished rival Nikki Haley.
After Tuesday, eight presidential nominating contests will remain: Democrats in Idaho, the District of Columbia, Guam and the Virgin Islands, and both parties in Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota.
McGarvey wins reelection in congressional race
Democratic 3rd District congressman Rep. Morgan McGarvey, the state’s only Democratic congressman, won his reelection bid in the primary over two challengers, Geoffrey Young and Jared Randell. The 3rd District covers the Louisville area.
McGarvey will face the winner of the Republican race, Mike Craven, who beat Dennis Ormerod with 75% of the vote.
In central Kentucky, Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Barr did not have any challengers in the District 6 primary. Republicans James Comer, Brett Guthrie were also unopposed in the primary.
Five candidates are running for the Democratic nomination for the 6th District including Randy Cravens, Jonathan Richardson, Todd Kelly, Don Pratt or Shauna Rudd. As of 10 p.m., that race had not been called. Cravens led the vote with 26%, with Kelly close behind with 25.4% of the vote.
Massie, Rogers defeat challengers for reelection in Kentucky legislative race
For U.S. House, District 4 Republican incumbent Rep. Thomas Massie won reelection over challengers Michael McGinnis and Eric Deters with 76% of the vote. The state’s 4th District stretches across northern Kentucky.
With no Democratic opponent in the fall, Massie’s primary victory clears his way to claim another term in November’s General Election.
The congressman said his victory amounted to a “referendum on thousands of independent votes I have cast in Washington, D.C., on behalf of Kentucky’s 4th District.”
U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers is serving his 22nd term and will keep his 5th District seat representing eastern Kentucky after beating three challengers Dana Edwards, Brandon Monhollen and David Kraftchak with 83% of the vote.
Multiple Kentucky Senate and House seats are choosing candidates for the November general election.
The GOP race for Kentucky’s 7th District Senate seat was close as of 10 p.m., with Aaron Reed leading Ed Gallrein with 39.3% of the vote.
Sen. Gerald Neal won the Democratic primary for Kentucky’s 33rd District, beating Attica Scott and Michael Churchill with 55.3% of the vote.
Josh Calloway beat Julie Cantwell in the GOP primary for Kentucky’s 10th District in the state House with 79% of the vote.
In the GOP primary for Kentucky’s 24th District in the state House, Ryan Bivens beat Asa Waggoner with 75% of the vote.
Timothy Findley and Matthew Pfaadt were neck-in-neck for the state’s 29th District House seat as of 10 p.m. Findley led with 41.9% of the vote over Pfaadt’s 40%.
Daniel Grossberg led the Democratic race for Kentucky’s 30th District House seat, with 50.8% of the vote over Mitra Subedi’s 49.2% as of 10 p.m. Tuesday.
Democrat Colleen Davis beat Carma Bell Marshall in the race for Kentucky’s 31st District House seat with 66% of the vote.
William Zorn led the Democratic race for Kentucky’s 36th House seat over Colin McDowell with 50.1% of the vote as of 10 p.m. Incumbent Democrat Nima Kulkarni leads the race for Kentucky’s 40th District House seat with 78% of the vote over her challenger, William Zeitz.
(Photo: Sen. Steve Meredith, R-Leitchfield)
By WDRB.com and Ken Howlett, News Director
