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| Elections in Kentucky |
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The 1992 United States Senate election in Kentucky took place on November 3, 1992. It was concurrent with elections to the United States House of Representatives. Incumbent Senator Wendell Ford won reelection to a fourth and final term. As of 2023 [update] , this was the last time Democrats won a U.S. Senate election in Kentucky.
Denny Ormerod, a machinist from Louisville dropped out before the primary election. [1] Though Williams and Thompson represented opposing factions in the state Republican Party – Williams managed Larry Hopkins' 1991 primary campaign while Thompson worked full-time for Hopkins' primary opponent Larry Forgy – the two virtually ignored each other in the primary campaign, choosing instead to focus their rhetoric against Ford. [1] Thompson did question Williams' conservative credentials on grounds that he voted in favor of the tax increase associated with the Kentucky Education Reform Act. [1] Ormerod's campaign largely focused on socially conservative issues, but it was Williams who secured the endorsement of Kentucky Right to Life, who cited his lawsuit to free three anti-abortion bills from committee in the 1992 legislative session. [1] As a result of the largely uninspiring primary campaigns, there was only an 18% voter turnout in the Republican primary. Williams won the nomination. [2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | David Williams | 49,880 | 60.9% | |
| Republican | Phillip Thompson | 25,026 | 30.5% | |
| Republican | Denny Ormerod | 7,066 | 8.6% | |
Ford, the Senate Majority Whip and a former governor, raised $2.4 million for his campaign, about eight times the amount Williams raised. [4] Given his limited finances, Williams relied on news conferences and interviews on small town radio stations to get his message out. [4] Williams repeatedly lamented that Ford would not agree to a formal debate; Ford said that could not be arranged because Congress was still in session and he needed to be in Washington. [5] During the campaign, Williams attempted to paint Ford as too liberal for Kentucky voters, citing his votes against the Gulf War and Clarence Thomas' confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. [6] Both candidates declared their support for a Balanced Budget Amendment, but Williams said that Ford's support of pork barrel projects for the state and a procedural vote that kept the amendment from a vote in 1991 were evidence that Ford's support was not genuine. [6]
Ford had no trouble winning on election night. Ford won easily, despite the fact that fellow Democrat Bill Clinton was not declared the winner of the presidential race in Kentucky until around 10:00 E.S.T. Ford pulled big margins out of the majority of Kentucky's 124 counties. This would be Ford's last term in the senate. He served his final term from January 3, 1993, to January 3, 1999. Ford died sixteen years after his retirement at the age of 90 in January 2015.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Wendell H. Ford (incumbent) | 836,888 | 62.88% | |
| Republican | David L. Williams | 476,604 | 35.81% | |
| Libertarian | James A. Ridenour | 17,366 | 1.30% | |
| Democratic hold | ||||
| County | Ford# | Ford% | Williams# | Williams% | Ridenour# | Ridenour% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adair | 2,378 | 41.69% | 3,280 | 57.51% | 45 | 0.8% |
| Allen | 2,203 | 47.29% | 2,417 | 51.89% | 38 | 0.82% |
| Anderson | 3,543 | 61.42% | 2,145 | 37.19% | 80 | 1.39% |
| Ballard | 3,128 | 83.61% | 579 | 15.48% | 34 | 0.91% |
| Barren | 6,990 | 61.05% | 4,375 | 38.21% | 85 | 0.74% |
| Bath | 2,616 | 77.51% | 724 | 21.45% | 35 | 1.04% |
| Bell | 5,364 | 63.77% | 2,901 | 34.49% | 147 | 1.74% |
| Boone | 11,372 | 53.49% | 9,525 | 44.80% | 364 | 1.71% |
| Bourbon | 4,188 | 69.17% | 1,777 | 29.35% | 90 | 1.48% |
| Boyd | 13,256 | 67.92% | 6,076 | 31.13% | 184 | 0.95% |
| Boyle | 5,025 | 60.48% | 3,210 | 38.64% | 73 | 0.88% |
| Bracken | 1,740 | 72.90% | 609 | 25.51% | 38 | 1.59% |
| Breathitt | 3,910 | 80.24% | 931 | 19.10% | 32 | 0.66% |
| Breckinridge | 4,314 | 66.70% | 2,112 | 32.65% | 42 | 0.65% |
| Bullitt | 10,954 | 63.05% | 6,205 | 35.71% | 216 | 1.24% |
| Butler | 1,817 | 44.34% | 2,255 | 55.03% | 26 | 0.63% |
| Caldwell | 3,644 | 68.69% | 1,626 | 30.65% | 35 | 0.66% |
| Calloway | 7,452 | 64.06% | 4,058 | 34.89% | 122 | 1.05% |
| Campbell | 15,765 | 57.38% | 11,181 | 40.69% | 531 | 1.93% |
| Carlisle | 1,760 | 78.12% | 480 | 21.30% | 13 | 0.58% |
| Carroll | 2,449 | 77.28% | 664 | 20.95% | 56 | 1.77% |
| Carter | 4,973 | 64.95% | 2,628 | 34.32% | 56 | 0.73% |
| Casey | 1,832 | 41.02% | 2,581 | 57.79% | 53 | 1.19% |
| Christian | 7,982 | 55.71% | 6,210 | 43.34% | 136 | 0.95% |
| Clark | 6,106 | 63.24% | 3,442 | 35.65% | 107 | 1.11% |
| Clay | 2,250 | 40.81% | 3,210 | 58.23% | 53 | 0.96% |
| Clinton | 1,297 | 36.42% | 2,222 | 62.40% | 42 | 1.18% |
| Crittenden | 2,120 | 63.26% | 1,210 | 36.11% | 21 | 0.63% |
| Cumberland | 1,041 | 36.46% | 1,804 | 63.19% | 10 | 0.35% |
| Daviess | 22,194 | 67.16% | 10,374 | 31.39% | 478 | 1.45% |
| Edmonson | 1,782 | 45.86% | 2,082 | 53.57% | 22 | 0.57% |
| Elliott | 1,944 | 86.90% | 268 | 11.98% | 25 | 1.12% |
| Estill | 2,623 | 55.96% | 2,013 | 42.95% | 51 | 1.09% |
| Fayette | 45,941 | 56.29% | 34,047 | 41.72% | 1,621 | 1.99% |
| Fleming | 2,909 | 67.95% | 1,321 | 30.86% | 51 | 1.19% |
| Floyd | 13,138 | 84.67% | 2,223 | 14.33% | 155 | 1.00% |
| Franklin | 12,717 | 70.40% | 4,986 | 27.60% | 362 | 2.00% |
| Fulton | 1,999 | 75.60% | 616 | 23.30% | 29 | 1.10% |
| Gallatin | 1,419 | 75.16% | 432 | 22.88% | 37 | 1.96% |
| Garrard | 2,359 | 55.00% | 1,901 | 44.32% | 29 | 0.68% |
| Grant | 3,297 | 69.87% | 1,338 | 28.35% | 84 | 1.78% |
| Graves | 9,596 | 74.69% | 3,115 | 24.24% | 137 | 1.07% |
| Grayson | 3,753 | 49.81% | 3,694 | 49.02% | 88 | 1.17% |
| Green | 2,100 | 46.48% | 2,394 | 52.99% | 24 | 0.53% |
| Greenup | 8,691 | 67.36% | 4,096 | 31.74% | 116 | 0.90% |
| Hancock | 2,141 | 69.47% | 855 | 27.74% | 86 | 2.79% |
| Hardin | 14,858 | 62.15% | 8,728 | 36.51% | 321 | 1.34% |
| Harlan | 7,370 | 73.96% | 2,500 | 25.09% | 95 | 0.95% |
| Harrison | 4,084 | 71.53% | 1,567 | 27.44% | 59 | 1.03% |
| Hart | 3,351 | 65.35% | 1,744 | 34.01% | 33 | 0.64% |
| Henderson | 10,891 | 72.82% | 3,912 | 26.15% | 154 | 1.03% |
| Henry | 3,483 | 75.54% | 1,065 | 23.09% | 63 | 1.37% |
| Hickman | 1,808 | 77.33% | 493 | 21.09% | 37 | 1.58% |
| Hopkins | 11,672 | 73.07% | 4,127 | 25.84% | 174 | 1.09% |
| Jackson | 1,011 | 28.16% | 2,543 | 70.84% | 36 | 1.00% |
| Jefferson | 195,253 | 64.96% | 100,956 | 33.58% | 4,379 | 1.46% |
| Jessamine | 5,778 | 52.55% | 5,101 | 46.39% | 117 | 1.06% |
| Johnson | 4,672 | 63.05% | 2,650 | 35.76% | 88 | 1.19% |
| Kenton | 24,978 | 53.01% | 21,040 | 44.66% | 1,098 | 2.33% |
| Knott | 5,299 | 85.87% | 799 | 12.95% | 73 | 1.18% |
| Knox | 4,594 | 56.58% | 3,443 | 42.41% | 82 | 1.01% |
| LaRue | 3,006 | 67.37% | 1,412 | 31.64% | 44 | 0.99% |
| Laurel | 6,202 | 46.12% | 7,127 | 53.00% | 119 | 0.88% |
| Lawrence | 2,813 | 63.17% | 1,601 | 35.95% | 39 | 0.88% |
| Lee | 1,395 | 53.02% | 1,207 | 45.88% | 29 | 1.10% |
| Leslie | 1,766 | 44.62% | 2,171 | 54.85% | 21 | 0.53% |
| Letcher | 5,488 | 74.26% | 1,775 | 24.02% | 127 | 1.72% |
| Lewis | 2,001 | 47.87% | 2,122 | 50.77% | 57 | 1.36% |
| Lincoln | 3,501 | 62.54% | 2,049 | 36.60% | 48 | 0.86% |
| Livingston | 2,886 | 75.71% | 876 | 22.98% | 50 | 1.31% |
| Logan | 4,903 | 61.77% | 2,953 | 37.20% | 82 | 1.03% |
| Lyon | 1,998 | 76.17% | 596 | 22.72% | 29 | 1.11% |
| Madison | 10,976 | 60.69% | 6,914 | 38.23% | 196 | 1.08% |
| Magoffin | 3,256 | 70.17% | 1,327 | 28.60% | 57 | 1.23% |
| Marion | 4,149 | 77.71% | 1,125 | 21.07% | 65 | 1.22% |
| Marshall | 8,648 | 72.47% | 3,199 | 26.80% | 87 | 0.73% |
| Martin | 2,097 | 58.09% | 1,466 | 40.61% | 47 | 1.30% |
| Mason | 3,552 | 66.45% | 1,737 | 32.50% | 56 | 1.05% |
| McCracken | 17,841 | 70.58% | 7,262 | 28.73% | 175 | 0.69% |
| McCreary | 1,853 | 47.55% | 1,948 | 49.99% | 96 | 2.46% |
| McLean | 2,759 | 73.12% | 967 | 25.63% | 47 | 1.25% |
| Meade | 4,776 | 70.60% | 1,891 | 27.95% | 98 | 1.45% |
| Menifee | 1,423 | 77.72% | 391 | 21.35% | 17 | 0.93% |
| Mercer | 3,829 | 62.23% | 2,195 | 35.67% | 129 | 2.10% |
| Metcalfe | 1,895 | 57.27% | 1,377 | 41.61% | 37 | 1.12% |
| Monroe | 1,464 | 35.46% | 2,618 | 63.40% | 47 | 1.14% |
| Montgomery | 4,719 | 72.88% | 1,669 | 25.78% | 87 | 1.34% |
| Morgan | 2,928 | 81.70% | 620 | 17.30% | 36 | 1.00% |
| Muhlenberg | 8,685 | 74.52% | 2,870 | 24.63% | 99 | 0.85% |
| Nelson | 6,617 | 68.88% | 2,827 | 29.42% | 163 | 1.70% |
| Nicholas | 1,597 | 74.56% | 492 | 22.97% | 53 | 2.47% |
| Ohio | 5,106 | 62.61% | 2,985 | 36.60% | 64 | 0.79% |
| Oldham | 7,612 | 50.16% | 7,425 | 48.93% | 138 | 0.91% |
| Owen | 2,418 | 75.09% | 765 | 23.76% | 37 | 1.15% |
| Owsley | 854 | 53.68% | 717 | 45.07% | 20 | 1.25% |
| Pendleton | 2,480 | 68.64% | 1,047 | 28.98% | 86 | 2.38% |
| Perry | 6,656 | 70.04% | 2,768 | 29.13% | 79 | 0.83% |
| Pike | 18,032 | 73.43% | 6,372 | 25.95% | 153 | 0.62% |
| Powell | 2,586 | 67.50% | 1,174 | 30.65% | 71 | 1.85% |
| Pulaski | 7,623 | 48.50% | 7,964 | 50.66% | 132 | 0.84% |
| Robertson | 582 | 71.94% | 217 | 26.82% | 10 | 1.24% |
| Rockcastle | 1,839 | 41.83% | 2,533 | 57.62% | 24 | 0.55% |
| Rowan | 4,572 | 70.80% | 1,819 | 28.17% | 67 | 1.03% |
| Russell | 2,560 | 39.02% | 3,953 | 60.25% | 48 | 0.73% |
| Scott | 5,305 | 63.80% | 2,913 | 35.03% | 97 | 1.17% |
| Shelby | 5,754 | 61.05% | 3,577 | 37.95% | 94 | 1.00% |
| Simpson | 2,991 | 62.08% | 1,789 | 37.13% | 38 | 0.79% |
| Spencer | 1,862 | 69.37% | 793 | 29.55% | 29 | 1.08% |
| Taylor | 4,413 | 53.56% | 3,780 | 45.88% | 46 | 0.56% |
| Todd | 1,893 | 62.70% | 1,050 | 34.78% | 76 | 2.52% |
| Trigg | 2,804 | 67.55% | 1,283 | 30.91% | 64 | 1.54% |
| Trimble | 1,905 | 75.78% | 583 | 23.19% | 26 | 1.03% |
| Union | 4,286 | 80.75% | 981 | 18.48% | 41 | 0.77% |
| Warren | 14,177 | 50.62% | 13,558 | 48.41% | 273 | 0.97% |
| Washington | 2,502 | 64.34% | 1,315 | 33.81% | 72 | 1.85% |
| Wayne | 2,675 | 50.34% | 2,590 | 48.74% | 49 | 0.92% |
| Webster | 4,240 | 81.59% | 894 | 17.20% | 63 | 1.21% |
| Whitley | 4,610 | 50.38% | 4,404 | 48.13% | 136 | 1.49% |
| Wolfe | 1,730 | 78.64% | 441 | 20.05% | 29 | 1.31% |
| Woodford | 4,624 | 57.85% | 3,270 | 40.91% | 99 | 1.24% |
Wendell Hampton Ford was an American politician from Kentucky. He served for twenty-four years in the U.S. Senate and was the 53rd Governor of Kentucky. He was the first person to be successively elected lieutenant governor, governor, and United States senator in Kentucky history. He was the Senate Democratic whip from 1991 to 1999, and was considered the leader of the state's Democratic Party from his election as governor in 1971 until he retired from the Senate in 1999. At the time of his retirement he was the longest-serving senator in Kentucky's history, a mark which was then surpassed by Mitch McConnell in 2009. He is the most recent Democrat to have served as a Senator from the state of Kentucky.
The 1998 United States Senate elections were held on November 3, with the 34 seats of Class 3 contested in regular elections. This was seen as an even contest between the Republican Party and Democratic Party. While the Democrats had to defend more seats up for election, Republican attacks on the morality of President Bill Clinton failed to connect with voters and anticipated Republican gains did not materialize. The Republicans picked up open seats in Ohio and Kentucky and narrowly defeated Democratic incumbent Carol Moseley Braun, but these were cancelled out by the Democrats' gain of an open seat in Indiana and defeats of Republican Senators Al D'Amato and Lauch Faircloth. The balance of the Senate remained unchanged at 55–45 in favor of the Republicans.
The 1996 United States Senate elections were held on November 5, with the 33 seats of Class 2 contested in regular elections. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies. They coincided with the presidential election of the same year, in which Democrat Bill Clinton was re-elected president.
The 1992 United States Senate elections, held November 3, 1992, were elections for the United States Senate. The 34 seats of Class 3 were contested in regular elections, along with special elections to fill vacancies. They coincided with Bill Clinton's victory in the presidential election. This was the first time since 1956 that the balance of the Senate remained the same.
The 1984 United States Senate elections were held on November 6, with the 33 seats of Class 2 contested in regular elections. They coincided with the landslide re-election of President Ronald Reagan in the presidential election. In spite of the lopsided presidential race, Reagan's Republican Party suffered a net loss of two Senate seats to the Democrats, although it retained control of the Senate with a reduced 53–47 majority. Democrats defeated incumbents in Illinois and Iowa, and won an open seat in Tennessee, while Republicans defeated an incumbent in Kentucky.
The 1982 United States Senate elections were held on November 2, 1982. They were elections for the United States Senate following Republican gains in 1980. The 33 Senate seats of Class 1 were up for election in 1982. A total of four seats changed hands between parties, with Democrats winning seats in New Jersey and New Mexico, and Republicans taking seats in Nevada and the seat of the lone independent, Senator Harry Byrd Jr., in Virginia. Democrats made a net gain of one seat bringing them to 46 seats, while Republicans stayed at 54 seats for a majority. However, the Democratic gain in New Jersey replaced a Republican that had been appointed earlier in the year.
The 1980 United States Senate elections were held on November 4, coinciding with Ronald Reagan's victory in the presidential election. The 34 Senate seats of Class 3 were contested in regular elections. Reagan's large margin of victory over incumbent Jimmy Carter gave a huge boost to Republican Senate candidates, allowing them to flip 12 Democratic seats and win control of the chamber for the first time since the end of the 83rd Congress in January 1955.
The 1978 United States Senate elections were held on November 7, in the middle of Democratic President Jimmy Carter's term. The 33 seats of Class 2 were contested in regular elections. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies.
The 1976 United States Senate elections was an election for the United States Senate. Held on November 2, the 33 seats of Class 1 were contested in regular elections. They coincided with Democrat Jimmy Carter's presidential election and the United States Bicentennial celebration. Although almost half of the seats decided in this election changed parties, Carter's narrow victory did not provide coattails for the Democratic Party. Each party flipped seven Senate seats, although, one of the seats flipped by Democrats was previously held by a Conservative.
The 1974 United States Senate elections were held on November 5, with the 34 seats of Class 3 contested in regular elections. They occurred in the wake of the Watergate scandal, Richard M. Nixon's resignation from the presidency, and Gerald Ford's subsequent pardon of Nixon. Economic issues, specifically inflation and stagnation, were also a factor that contributed to Republican losses. As an immediate result of the November 1974 elections, Democrats made a net gain of three seats from the Republicans, as they defeated Republican incumbents in Colorado and Kentucky and picked up open seats in Florida and Vermont, while Republicans won the open seat in Nevada. Following the elections, at the beginning of the 94th U.S. Congress, the Democratic caucus controlled 60 seats, and the Republican caucus controlled 38 seats.
The 1972 United States Senate elections were held on November 7, with the 33 seats of Class 2 contested in regular elections. They coincided with the landslide re-election of Republican President Richard Nixon. Despite Nixon's landslide victory, Democrats increased their majority by two seats. The Democrats picked up open seats in Kentucky and South Dakota, and defeated four incumbent senators: Gordon Allott of Colorado, J. Caleb Boggs of Delaware, Jack Miller of Iowa, and Margaret Chase Smith of Maine. The Republicans picked up open seats in New Mexico, North Carolina, and Oklahoma, and defeated one incumbent, William B. Spong Jr. of Virginia.
The 1970 United States Senate elections was an election for the United States Senate. It took place on November 3, with the 33 seats of Class 1 contested in regular elections. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies. These races occurred in the middle of Richard Nixon's first term as president. The Democrats lost a net of three seats, while the Republicans and the Conservative Party of New York picked up one net seat each, and former Democrat Harry F. Byrd Jr. was re-elected as an independent.
The 1964 United States Senate elections were held on November 3. The 33 seats of Class 1 were contested in regular elections. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies. They coincided with the election of President Lyndon B. Johnson by an overwhelming majority, to a full term. His Democratic Party picked up a net two seats from the Republicans. As of 2023, this was the last time either party has had a two-thirds majority in the Senate, which would have hypothetically allowed the Senate Democrats to override a veto, propose constitutional amendments, or convict and expel certain officials without any votes from Senate Republicans. In practice, however, internal divisions effectively prevented the Democrats from doing so. The Senate election cycle coincided with Democratic gains in the House in the same year.
The 1956 United States Senate elections were elections for the United States Senate that coincided with the re-election of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The 32 seats of Class 3 were contested in regular elections, and three special elections were held to fill vacancies. Although Democrats gained two seats in regular elections, the Republicans gained two seats in special elections, leaving the party balance of the chamber unchanged.
David Lewis Williams is an American attorney, Republican politician, and a judge from the U.S. state of Kentucky. From the year 1987 to 2012, Williams represented Senate District 16, a position he secured upon the retirement of fellow Republican Doug Moseley. When Republicans gained control of the state senate in 2000, Williams was chosen as President of the Senate, and held that post continuously until his resignation in November 2012. In September 2010, he announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor in the 2011 gubernatorial election. On May 17, 2011, Williams secured the Republican nomination over Tea Party movement-backed Phil Moffet. However, he lost the general election by twenty points to incumbent Democratic Governor Steve Beshear. In November 2012, Williams resigned his Senate seat to accept a circuit court judgeship.
The 2004 United States Senate election in Kentucky took place on November 2, 2004, alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Jim Bunning narrowly won re-election to a second term over Democratic State Senator Daniel Mongiardo. This election was the first time since 1962 that the incumbent Republican Senator was re-elected or won re-election for this seat.
The 1998 United States Senate election in Kentucky was held November 3, 1998. It was concurrent with elections to the United States House of Representatives. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Wendell Ford decided to retire, instead of seeking a fifth term. Republican U.S. Representative Jim Bunning narrowly won the open seat, defeating Democratic U.S. Representative Scotty Baesler. This was the first open Senate seat since 1972. By a margin of 0.59%, this election was the second-closest race of the 1998 Senate election cycle, behind only the election in Nevada. Jim Bunning's swearing-in marked the first time since 1973 that Republicans held both United States Senate seats from Kentucky. This was the first open-seat United States Senate election in Kentucky since 1972 and the first open-seat United States Senate election in Kentucky for this seat since 1968.
The 1974 United States Senate election in Kentucky took place on November 5, 1974. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Marlow Cook ran for a second term in office but was defeated by Democratic Governor of Kentucky Wendell Ford.
The 1980 United States Senate election in Kentucky took place on November 4, 1980, concurrently with the U.S. presidential election as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as other elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic Senator Wendell Ford won re-election, defeating Republican nominee Mary Louise Foust.
The 1986 United States Senate election in Kentucky was held on November 4, 1986, concurrently with other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democrat Wendell Ford won re-election in a landslide against Republican Jackson Andrews, winning every county in the state.
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