If Rep. Andy Barr vies for Senate, who runs for Kentucky's 6th Congressional District?
While Barr hasn't publicly said he's running for the seat, the Monday afternoon news upped the speculation around the 2026 elections — including who would run for Barr's newly vacant Central Kentucky-centric 6th Congressional District seat.
Quite a few Republicans and Democrats have been mentioned as possibilities, and a handful of Republicans have stated plainly that they'd take a look at it should Barr follow through on his intention to go for the U.S. Senate, foregoing reelection to the seat he's held for 12 years.
The district leans Republican but is anchored by Fayette County, which comprises more than half of the district's population and has moved more to the left over time.
Barr has won his last few races handily, but he has not faced well-funded competition since Amy McGrath in 2018, who got within three percentage points of beating him. However, a Republican-led redistricting effort in 2022 caused the district to reorient more towards the GOP, as Barr lost the blue-leaning Franklin County.
The most clear response has been from Rep. Ryan Dotson, R-Winchester, a businessman and pastor who has held his state House seat representing Clark County and a portion of South Fayette County since 2021.
Dotson told the Herald-Leader he is 'committed to running' if Barr goes for the Senate.
'My family and I have already weighed this out and have made the decision to run, but we of course would want to make sure Andy comes out and commits to the Senate race first,' Dotson said Monday.
Four other elected officials on the Republican side of the aisle are often mentioned in political circles as candidates for Barr's seat if he leaves: state Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe, R-Lexington; state Rep. Deanna Gordon, R-Richmond; state Rep. Matt Lockett, R-Nicholasville; and former state Senate GOP leader Damon Thayer, of Georgetown.
Bledsoe served on the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council for eight years before claiming her Senate seat starting in 2023. She told the Herald-Leader she was focused on delivering results for her Senate District 12 — which includes a swath of Fayette County as well as Woodford, Mercer and Boyle counties — during this year's legislative session, which is currently under way in Frankfort.
'However, if an opportunity arises to further serve and support the community that has given me so much and that I deeply love, I would be open to pursuing it,' Bledsoe wrote in a statement Monday.
Gordon, who has represented much of the growing city of Richmond in Madison County since 2019, struck a similar note. In a Monday statement to the Herald-Leader, she said she'd 'take a strong look.'
'If this congressional seat opens up I'll take a strong look at it because we need a conservative who can get the president's agenda passed and get our country on the right track,' Gordon wrote.
Thayer told the Herald-Leader that he's received a lot of encouragement to consider running if Barr leaves. He just left his post as one of the top Republicans in the state Senate this year.
'I'm receiving a lot of encouragement to consider if it (Barr running for the Senate) indeed happens. But, you know, I'm 41 days into legislative retirement and really enjoying my private sector pursuits. I'm a long way away from a decision, but it's certainly something I would consider,' Thayer said.
Lockett, who represents much of Jessamine County and a small portion of Fayette County, did not respond to a Herald-Leader request for comment on the matter. He ran against Barr for the nomination in 2010 when the seat was still held by former Democratic congressman Ben Chandler.
Another prominent Republican often mentioned for the role is former commissioner of agriculture Ryan Quarles, a Georgetown native who now leads the state's community and technical college system. Quarles recently came in second in the 2023 GOP gubernatorial primary behind former attorney general Daniel Cameron. He did not respond to a Herald-Leader question on whether he'd consider running for the district.
The Democratic field is less clear, though not without strong potential candidates.
Among the names most frequently mentioned for the office are a handful of former officeholders and a couple party officials.
Kentucky Democratic Party Executive Director Morgan Eaves, a former Richmond city council member who currently lives in Lexington, indicated potential interest to the Herald-Leader.
'Now more than ever, Kentuckians and Americans deserve leaders who advocate for them. I love my job as executive director of the Kentucky Democratic Party, but am always looking for additional opportunities to advocate for every Kentucky family,' Eaves wrote in a statement.
Rocky Adkins, a senior advisor to Gov. Andy Beshear who was previously the top state House Democrat, has not responded to a Herald-Leader inquiry on if he's considering a run for either Congress or Senate.
After Beshear won in 2023, Adkins was quoted saying he had 'fuel left in the tank.'
Preston Worley, a former city councilman who just left office, has deep ties to the region and has been rumored as a candidate for local office or the 6th Congressional District. He has not responded to questions about his status.
Former state House Democratic caucus chair Cherlynn Stevenson, who represented multiple parts of Lexington and a slice of Scott County, declined to comment on if she was considering a run for the seat currently held by Barr.
Colmon Elridge, the state party chair, is often mentioned as a potential candidate for the office. He did not respond to a question concerning his interest, if any, in the post.
There are also a couple notables who have completely taken themselves out of the running.
A spokesperson for Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, a politician with Central Kentucky ties through her Mercer County roots, told the Herald-Leader that she would not run for either Congress or Senate in 2026.
Coleman has previously hinted at running for governor in 2027, when Beshear will be term-limited.
State Rep. Chad Aull, D-Lexington, told the Herald-Leader that he would not run for the seat.
Editor's note: This story has been updated since publication to reflect additional names of potential candidates.
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