2010 Kentucky Senate election


The 2010 Kentucky Senate election was held on November 2, 2010. The Republican and Democratic primary elections were held on May 18. Half of the senate were up for election. Republicans increased their majority in the chamber, gaining two seats.
A numbered map of the senate districts at the time can be viewed .

Retiring incumbents

A total of two senators retired, neither of which ran for other offices.

Democratic

  1. 34th: Ed Worley : Retired.

Republican

  1. 20th: Gary Tapp : Retired.

Defeated incumbents

Three incumbents were defeated for reelection.

Democrats

  1. 8th: David Boswell lost to Joseph R. Bowen.
  2. 32nd: Mike Reynolds lost to Mike Wilson.

Republicans

  1. 10th: Elizabeth Tori lost to Dennis Parrett.

Summary by district

Certified results by the Kentucky Secretary of State are available online for the and .

Closest races

Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:
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Special elections

District 32 special

Mike Reynolds was elected in [|February 2009] following the resignation of Brett Guthrie.

District 18 special

Robin L. Webb was elected in [|August 2009] following the resignation of Charlie Borders.

District 14 special

Jimmy Higdon was elected in December 2009 following the resignation of Dan Kelly.

District 2

Incumbent senator Bob Leeper won reelection, defeating Democratic and Republican challengers.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee
  • Rex Smith, representative from the 4th district

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Independent candidates

District 4

Incumbent senator Dorsey Ridley won reelection unopposed.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

District 6

Incumbent senator Jerry Rhoads won reelection, defeating Republican Jack Whitfield.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee
  • Jack Whitfield

District 8

Incumbent senator David Boswell was defeated for reelection by Republican Joseph R. Bowen.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

District 10

Incumbent senator Elizabeth Tori was defeated for reelection by Democrat Dennis Parrett.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

District 12

Incumbent senator Alice Forgy Kerr won reelection, defeating primary and general election challengers.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

District 14

Incumbent senator Jimmy Higdon won reelection unopposed.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

District 16

Incumbent senator David Williams won reelection, defeating primary election challenger Denver Capps.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

District 18

Incumbent senator Robin L. Webb won reelection, defeating Republican Jack Ditty.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee
  • Jack Ditty, Republican candidate for this district in August 2009

District 20

Incumbent senator Gary Tapp did not seek reelection. He was succeeded by Republican Paul Hornback.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee
  • David Eaton, candidate for the 58th house district in 2002 and 2004
    Eliminated in primary
  • John Spainhour

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

District 22

Incumbent senator Tom Buford won reelection, defeating primary election challenger Chad Crouch.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee
  • Tom Buford, incumbent senator
    Eliminated in primary
  • Chad Crouch

District 24

Incumbent senator Katie Kratz Stine won reelection, defeating Democrat Julie Smith-Morrow.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee
  • Julie Smith-Morrow

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

District 26

Incumbent senator Ernie Harris won reelection, defeating primary and general election challengers.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee
  • John Black

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee
  • Ernie Harris, incumbent senator
    Eliminated in primary
  • Don Godfrey

District 28

Incumbent senator R. J. Palmer won reelection, defeating primary and general election challengers.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

District 30

Incumbent senator Brandon Smith won reelection, defeating Democrat Johnnie L. Turner.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

District 32

Incumbent senator Mike Reynolds was defeated for reelection by Republican Mike Wilson.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

District 34

Incumbent senator Ed Worley did not seek reelection. He was succeeded by Republican Jared Carpenter.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee
  • Lee Murphy
    Eliminated in primary
  • Michael Cope
  • Landra Lewis

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

Third-party candidates

Evangelical Christian

  • Donald VanWinkle

District 36

Incumbent senator Julie Denton won reelection, defeating primary and general election challengers.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee
  • Rick Hiles

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee
  • Julie Denton, incumbent senator
    Eliminated in primary
  • Shawn Slone

District 38

Incumbent senator Dan Seum won reelection, defeating Democrat Marty Meyer.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee
  • Marty Meyer

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee