Kentucky’s filing deadline is Tuesday January 29. As of 2 PM (EST) on January 28, Democrats have filed for four of the state’s six House seats and for the US Senate seat. Republicans have filed for all six seats.
Democratic candidates so far are incumbents John Yarmuth (KY-3) and Ben Chandler (KY-6) and challengers David Boswell (KY-2) and Michael Kelley (KY-4). Kenneth Stepp, who was considered a likely House candidate in disrict 5 is running for the US Senate along with Andrew Horne, David L. Williams, and Michael Cassaro.
The two House seats without a listed Democratic challenger are KY-1 (Edward Whitfield, PVI of R+10.74) and KY-5 (Hal Rogers, PVI of R+8.79). Whitfield was first elected in 1994 and has been re-elected easily ever since. Rogers has sailed through since first elected in 1980. Kentucky’s filing fee is $500. Additional candidates are expected to file (the Louisville Courier-Journal says that Ann Northrup has decided to challenge John Yarmuth for the seat she lost in 2006; a candidate for KY-1 was rumored on Politics1. No one has filed, though.
I really don’t feel like having to defend another House seat. What Yarmuth has to do is get everybody in the district to vote straight ticket, since any Democratic nominee will carry this district.
Heather Ryan filed for the Democrats in KY-1. Still no Northrup as of 4 PM EST. The good news is that if Yarmuth beats her, she will have three losses within two years and that ought to drive a stake through the heart of her political career.