When legislators return to Frankfort for the 2023 Regular Session, there will be more Republicans in the House of Representatives. Republican candidates defeated Democratic incumbents in eastern and western Kentucky, increasing the Republican supermajority from 75 seats to 80 out of 100.

Republicans picked up one seat in the Senate with Matthew Deneen running unopposed for the 10th District, an office currently held by Senator Dennis Parrett (D-Elizabethtown), who did not seek reelection. Republicans will now have a 31-7 majority in that chamber.

Kentucky’s Republican federal delegation retained their seats while Kentucky State Senator Morgan McGarvey won the 3rd Congressional District seat formerly held by John Yarmuth. U.S. Senator Rand Paul easily defeated Democratic challenger Charles Booker.

While votes were still coming in on Wednesday, both constitutional amendment questions on the ballot were poised for defeat.

Voters select state representatives every two years. Senators run every four years, with half of the Kentucky Senate up this year and the other half in 2024. Redistricting resulted in some district changes this year.

Republicans gained five House seats:

• Jacob Justice, a dentist in Elkhorn City, defeated House Minority Whip Angie Hatton (D-Whitesburg) to represent the 94th District.
• Stephanie Dietz, a Fort Mitchell attorney, defeated incumbent Buddy Wheatley (D-Covington) in the 65th District.
• Kevin Jackson, a retired Warren County educator, defeated Patti Minter (D-Bowling Green) in the 20th District.
• Jared Bauman defeated Charles Miller (D-Louisville) in Jefferson County’s 28th District.
• Emily Callaway defeated Jeff Donohue (D-Fairdale) in the newly redrawn 37th District.

Other new faces in the House of Representatives this January include:

• Republicans Rebecca Raymer (15th District), Robert Duvall (17th District), Amy Neighbors (21st District), Steve Bratcher (25th District), Daniel Grossberg (30th District), Susan Tyler Witten (31st District), John Hodgson (36th District), Marianne Proctor (60th District), Steve Rawlings (66th District), Mike Clines (68th District), Steven Doan (69th District), and Nicolas Wilson (82nd District).
• Democrats Wade Williams (4th District), Sarah Stalker (34th District), Rachel Roarx (38th District), KLC Board member and Shively Mayor Beverly Chester Burton (44th District), Lindsey Burke (75th District), Chad Aull (79th District), and Lamin Swann (93rd District).

Josie Raymond (D-Louisville) took the newly aligned 41st District. She had represented Louisville’s 31st. Other candidates retained their seats or did not face opposition.

Republicans picked up one seat in the Senate, a new 6th District that came out of this year’s redistricting. New Republican faces in the Senate next year include KLC Board member and Lexington Councilmember Amanda Mays Bledsoe (12th District), Gex Williams (20th District), and Shelley Frommeyer (24th District).

The two constitutional amendments on the ballot, Amendment 1 and Amendment 2, faced defeat. Amendment 1 would have allowed the legislature to call itself into a special session, and Amendment 2 stated that the Kentucky Constitution does not include the right to an abortion.

You can see all the statewide election results here.

Several city races were also on the ballot. Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton retained her position in the state’s second-largest city, and Democrat Craig Greenberg defeated the Republican candidate, KLC Past President and Jeffersontown Mayor Bill Dieruf, in the race for Louisville mayor.