Charles Booker and Andy Barr were competing Tuesday for Kentucky’s open U.S. Senate seat, but no unofficial vote totals had been posted by the state election system as of 7 p.m. Eastern time.
Kentucky voters cast ballots on November 3, 2026, in a race to replace Republican Sen.
Mitch McConnell, who is not seeking another term.
The Kentucky State Board of Elections listed Republican Andy Barr and Democrat Charles Booker on the statewide Senate ballot, while identifying the posted figures as unofficial.
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Charles Booker: What is known about the Kentucky Senate race
Charles Booker, a former Kentucky state representative, won the Democratic nomination in the May 19 primary.
Andy Barr, a Republican member of the U.S. House, won the Republican nomination in the same primary cycle.
The 2026 general election is the first open-seat Senate contest in Kentucky since McConnell began representing the state in the Senate in 1985.
Barr entered the race after representing Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District, while Booker previously carried the Democratic nomination for Senate in 2022.
The statewide contest also includes Kentucky Party candidate Christopher Campbell, according to the state’s election-night reporting page.
Why the result matters
The outcome will determine who succeeds McConnell and will help shape the Senate’s party balance for the next Congress.
Kentucky has remained a strongly Republican state in federal elections, but the open seat created a different contest from the repeated McConnell re-election campaigns.
The race also drew attention because Booker was making another statewide bid after his 2022 campaign against Republican Sen.
Rand Paul.
For Barr, a victory would keep the seat in Republican hands while moving him from the House to the Senate.
For Booker, a win would give Democrats a statewide breakthrough in a state where Republicans have dominated federal contests for decades.
When will Kentucky results be available?
The Kentucky State Board of Elections said November 3 was the 2026 general election date and directed voters to its election-night reporting system for unofficial results.
Initial figures can appear at different times as counties report absentee, early and Election Day ballots.
A posted lead should not be treated as a certified result until county canvasses and the state’s certification process are complete.
As of the newsroom’s 7 p.m. Eastern update, the official Kentucky results page showed zero votes for the Senate candidates.
That status reflected the reporting page at that time and did not indicate that the race had been decided.
What happens next
County election officials will continue reporting and reconciling ballots before the results move through the certification process.
Once a winner is established, the successful candidate will take over the seat after the current congressional term ends.
The result will also settle whether Kentucky’s Senate delegation remains entirely Republican or gains a Democratic member.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is running for the Kentucky Senate seat in 2026?
The leading candidates are Republican Andy Barr and Democrat Charles Booker. Kentucky’s election-night page also lists Kentucky Party candidate Christopher Campbell.
Why is the Kentucky Senate seat open?
Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell is not seeking another term, making the 2026 contest an open-seat race.
Has the Kentucky Senate race been called?
No. As of the newsroom’s 7 p.m. Eastern update on November 3, 2026, the official state results page had not posted vote totals or a winner.
When did Kentucky vote in the 2026 general election?
Kentucky’s 2026 general election was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Where can voters check the official Kentucky results?
Unofficial election-night results are posted through the Kentucky State Board of Elections reporting system. Final results follow county canvassing and state certification.
Fact-Checked: Key candidate, election-date and results-status details were checked against the Kentucky State Board of Elections and its official election-night reporting system.
Disclaimer: Election-night totals are unofficial and may change as counties report, reconcile and certify ballots.