By Linda Blackford | Editor
Zach Dembo’s win in the 6th District congressional race was considered one of the biggest of the night, moving the district into the blue column after 12 years of being in the red. But the man who left it open, U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, also swept to victory as Kentucky’s next Senator.
It was a wild election night, and a crazy few days after, where Kentucky voters punished their leaders over data centers, sent some legislators packing, and produced a massive shift in Kentucky’s voting patterns.
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Supporters of Zach Dembo, Kentucky Sixth Congressional District Democratic candidate, cheer while watching 2026 midterm election results at the Central Bank Center in downtown Lexington, Nov. 3, 2026.(Photo by Brian Simms for Kentucky Lantern)
By McKenna Horsley
While Zach Dembo’s win in central Kentucky allowed the state to take a part in Democrats’ nationwide “blue tsunami,” part of that wave trickled down to the Kentucky General Assembly.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, left, talks after Democrat Zach Dembo’s Sixth Congressional District win against Ralph Alvardo, at the Central Bank Center in downtown Lexington, Nov. 3, 2026. (Photo by Brian Simms for Kentucky Lantern)
COMMENTARY
By Al Cross
Tuesday’s blue tsunami that gave Kentucky one more Democratic congressman, two more Democratic state senators and eight more Democratic state House members raises at least two questions: Would Gov. Andy Beshear have won the race for U.S. senator, and does the Democratic surge give that party more hope of electing a Democrat to succeed him next year?
NEWS OF THE WEEK
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