| Election Name: | 2018 Kentucky Senate election |
| Country: | Kentucky |
| Type: | legislative |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2016 Kentucky Senate election |
| Previous Year: | 2016 |
| Next Election: | 2020 Kentucky Senate election |
| Next Year: | 2020 |
| Seats For Election: | 19 out of 38 seats in the Kentucky Senate |
| Majority Seats: | 20 |
| Election Date: | November 6, 2018 |
| 1Blank: | Seats up |
| 2Blank: | Races won |
| Leader1: | Robert Stivers |
| Party1: | Republican Party of Kentucky |
| Leaders Seat1: | 25th – Manchester |
| Leader Since1: | January 8, 2013 |
| Last Election1: | 27 |
| Seats1: | 28 |
| Seat Change1: | 1 |
| 1Data1: | 16 |
| 2Data1: | 17 |
| Leader2: | Ray Jones |
| Party2: | Kentucky Democratic Party |
| Leaders Seat2: | 31st – Pikeville |
| Leader Since2: | January 6, 2015 |
| Last Election2: | 11 |
| Seats2: | 10 |
| Seat Change2: | 1 |
| 1Data2: | 3 |
| 2Data2: | 2 |
| Senate President | |
| Before Election: | Robert Stivers |
| Before Party: | Republican Party of Kentucky |
| After Election: | Robert Stivers |
| After Party: | Republican Party of Kentucky |
The 2018 Kentucky Senate election was held on November 6, 2018. The Republican and Democratic primary elections were held on May 22. Half of the senate (all even-numbered seats) were up for election. Republicans increased their majority in the chamber, gaining one seat.
A numbered map of the senate districts at the time can be viewed here.
| Party | Candidates | Votes | % | Seats | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opposed | Unopposed | Before | Won | After | +/− | ||||||
| Republican | 18 | 0 | 468,530 | 57.93 | 27 | 17 | 28 | +1 | |||
| Democratic | 16 | 1 | 325,800 | 40.29 | 11 | 2 | 10 | style="text-align:right;" | -1 | ||
| Independent | 2 | 0 | 10,946 | 1.35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | style="text-align:center;" | - | ||
| Write-in | 2 | 0 | 3,454 | 0.43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | style="text-align:center;" | - | ||
| Total | 38 | 1 | 808,730 | 100.00 | 38 | 19 | 38 | ±0 | |||
| Source: Kentucky Secretary of State | |||||||||||
One senator retired, who did not run for another office.
One incumbent lost reelection in the general election.
Certified results by the Kentucky Secretary of State are available online for the primary election and general election.
† – Incumbent not seeking re-election
| District | Incumbent | Party | Elected | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Danny Carroll | Rep | Danny Carroll | Rep | ||
| 4 | J. Dorsey Ridley | Dem | Robert M. "Robby" Mills | Rep | ||
| 6 | C. B. Embry Jr. | Rep | C. B. Embry Jr. | Rep | ||
| 8 | Joe Bowen† | Rep | Matt Castlen | Rep | ||
| 10 | Dennis L. Parrett | Dem | Dennis L. Parrett | Dem | ||
| 12 | Alice Forgy Kerr | Rep | Alice Forgy Kerr | Rep | ||
| 14 | Jimmy Higdon | Rep | Jimmy Higdon | Rep | ||
| 16 | George Maxwell "Max" Wise | Rep | George Maxwell "Max" Wise | Rep | ||
| 18 | Robin L. Webb | Dem | Robin L. Webb | Dem | ||
| 20 | Paul R. Hornback | Rep | Paul R. Hornback | Rep | ||
| 22 | Tom Buford | Rep | Tom Buford | Rep | ||
| 24 | Wil Schroder | Rep | Wil Schroder | Rep | ||
| 26 | Ernie Harris | Rep | Ernie Harris | Rep | ||
| 28 | Ralph Alvarado | Rep | Ralph Alvarado | Rep | ||
| 30 | Brandon Smith | Rep | Brandon Smith | Rep | ||
| 32 | Mike Wilson | Rep | Mike Wilson | Rep | ||
| 34 | Jared K. Carpenter | Rep | Jared K. Carpenter | Rep | ||
| 36 | Julie Raque Adams | Rep | Julie Raque Adams | Rep | ||
| 38 | Dan Malano Seum | Rep | Dan Malano Seum | Rep | ||
Three districts voted for Donald Trump in 2016 but had Democratic incumbents:
| District | Incumbent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Member | Party | Incumbent margin of victory in 2014 | ||
| 4 | Unopposed | ||||
| 10 | Unopposed | ||||
| 18 | |||||
None.
Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:
Incumbent senator Danny Carroll won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Julie Tennyson.
Incumbent senator J. Dorsey Ridley was defeated for reelection by Republican Robert M. "Robby" Mills.
| County | Robert M. "Robby" Mills | J. Dorsey Ridley | Margin | Total votes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | ||||||
| Caldwell | 2,660 | 53.53 | 2,309 | 46.47 | 351 | 7.06 | 4,969 | |
| Crittenden | 2,144 | 63.75 | 1,219 | 36.25 | 925 | 27.51 | 3,363 | |
| Henderson | 6,586 | 43.03 | 8,718 | 56.97 | -2,132 | -13.93 | 15,304 | |
| Livingston | 2,216 | 58.15 | 1,595 | 41.85 | 621 | 16.29 | 3,811 | |
| Union | 3,028 | 53.23 | 2,661 | 46.77 | 367 | 6.45 | 5,689 | |
| Webster | 2,423 | 53.92 | 2,071 | 46.08 | 352 | 7.83 | 4,494 | |
| Total | 19,057 | 50.64 | 18,573 | 49.36 | 484 | 1.29 | 37,630 | |
Incumbent senator C. B. Embry Jr. won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Crystal Chappell.
Incumbent senator Joe Bowen did not seek reelection. He was succeeded by Republican Matt Castlen.
Incumbent senator Dennis L. Parrett won reelection unopposed.
Incumbent senator Alice Forgy Kerr won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Paula Setser-Kissick.
Incumbent senator Jimmy Higdon won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Stephanie Compton.
Incumbent senator George Maxwell "Max" Wise won reelection, defeating write-in candidate Nicole Britton.
Incumbent senator Robin L. Webb won reelection, defeating primary and general election challengers.
Incumbent senator Paul R. Hornback won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Dave Suetholz.
Incumbent senator Tom Buford won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Carolyn Dupont.
Incumbent senator Wil Schroder won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Rachel Roberts.
Incumbent senator Ernie Harris won reelection, defeating primary and general election challengers.
Incumbent senator Ralph Alvarado won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Denise Gray.
Incumbent senator Brandon Smith won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Paula Clemons-Combs.
Incumbent senator Mike Wilson won reelection, defeating primary and general election challengers.
Incumbent senator Jared K. Carpenter won reelection, defeating Democratic candidate Susan Byrne Haddix.
Incumbent senator Julie Raque Adams won reelection, defeating primary and general election challengers.
Incumbent senator Dan Malano Seum won reelection, defeating primary and general election challengers.