Catch up on 2022 midterms: Here’s what happened in Kentucky while you were sleeping

Some outstanding ballots remain to be counted across Kentucky after a busy Election Day Tuesday, with voters making selections on federal, state and local races, as well as two constitutional amendments.

In a tweet, Secretary of State Michael Adams predicted statewide turnout to reach or exceed 50%. Results remain unofficial until canvass day later this month.

But if you called it an early night and missed the returns, we’ve pulled together some information what happened after polls closed at 6 p.m. across the Bluegrass State.

Fayette County races

Linda Gorton handily won a second term as Lexington’s mayor. With 71% of the vote, according to unofficial returns, Gorton bested first-term Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilman David Kloiber.

Dan Wu will become the city’s new vice mayor after finishing first of six in a race for at-large seats on the council. James Brown and Chuck Ellinger II also secured at-large seats.

In other urban council races, winners included Tayna Fogle, Shayla Lynch, Hannah LeGris, Brenda Monarrez, Liz Sheehan, Denise Gray, Preston Worley, Fred Brown, Whitney Baxter, Dave Sevigny and Kathy Plomin. Incumbent Jennifer Reynolds is leading the race for District 11, though results for the write-in candidate were not immediately available.

In other contested local races, Kathy Witt easily secured another term as sheriff, Gary Ginn as county coroner and Don Blevins Jr. as county clerk. Democrat Mary Diane McCord Hanna will serve as Fayette County judge executive.

You can read more about all the local races here.

U.S. House and Senate races

In one of the earliest Kentucky races called Tuesday night, Rand Paul secured a third term in the Senate. As of 9:45 pm. Tuesday, Paul had more than 59% of the vote over challenger Charles Booker.

In the six U.S. Congressional Districts, incumbent Republicans swept almost all seats. That includes James Comer in District 1, Brett Guthrie in District 2, Thomas Massie in District 4, Harold Rogers in District 5 and Andy Barr – whose district includes Lexington – in District 6.

In the sixth seat, Democrat Morgan McGarvey secured the District 3 seat covering Louisville and will replace retiring Rep. John Yarmuth.

Ballot measures

Kentucky voters rejected Amendment 2, according to the Associated Press.

As of 8:20 a.m., the “no” vote won with 52.5% and approximately 86% of ballots counted.

If passed, the ballot measure would have made it harder for legal challenges to the state’s near-total abortion ban, amending the Kentucky constitution to indicate that nothing in the document protects the right to an abortion in the state.

Though failed, the measure does not change the state’s trigger law which prevents most abortions following the fall of Roe v. Wade this summer.

A second constitutional amendment, one aimed at giving state legislators power to call themselves back into session, was also close as of early Wednesday.

With an estimated 85% of ballots counted, the “no” votes had it at 53.7%. The race had not been officially called by the Associated Press.

This story may be updated.

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