Live updates: Amendment 2 defeated, KY’s abortion ban fight now moves to high court

The Associated Press on Wednesday morning declared that Amendment 2 failed. The ballot question was a controversial legislative effort to eliminate women’s constitutional right to abortion in Kentucky.

The vote against Amendment 2 dominated throughout Tuesday evening, coming in heaviest in the urban areas, including Louisville and Lexington, with many rural areas supporting the question. As of 8:20 a.m., the vote was 52.5% for “No” and 47.5% for “Yes,” with more than 1.3 million Kentuckians voting.

The defeat of Amendment 2 leaves abortion still unavailable in Kentucky due to statutory bans enacted by the General Assembly. The Kentucky Supreme Court soon will hear legal arguments against those bans, something the amendment — had it passed — would have prevented.

Kentuckians also appeared to have rejected Amendment 1, a ballot question that would have let the state legislature extend its annual winter sessions beyond their mandatory end dates and call itself into special session later in the year without the governor’s authorization.

Supreme Court justice keeps seat

Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Michelle Keller, who represents Northern Kentucky on the high court, appeared Wednesday to have successfully defended her seat from a challenge by state Rep. Joseph Fischer, R-Fort Thomas, who ran as a conservative Republican.

Judicial races in Kentucky are nonpartisan, and Fischer drew criticism for mixing politics into the Supreme Court race.

KY House Democrats lose seats

Several Democrats in the Kentucky House of Representatives appeared to lose their seats Tuesday, shrinking what was already a small 25-member minority in that 100-seat chamber.

Among the apparent political casualties were House Minority Whip Angie Hatton, D-Whitesburg, and Rep. Patti Minter, D-Bowling Green, the last House Democrat in the Central Time Zone. Midway Mayor Grayson Vandegrift, a Democrat, conceded that he lost in his House campaign against Republican Dan Fister in Central Kentucky.

By the time the smoke clears, it’s possible that Democrats — who once dominated the General Assembly — will hold few seats outside of the major cities of Louisville and Lexington. A notable exception on Tuesday was Eastern Kentucky Rep. Ashley Tackett Laferty, D-Martin, who survived a GOP challenge from Brandon Spencer.

Republicans will have firm control not only of the rural counties of Western and Eastern Kentucky but also suburban Northern Kentucky and smaller cities like Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Owensboro and Paducah.

Lexington Mayor Gorton re-elected

Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton won a second term Tuesday, turning back a challenge from Urban County Councilman David Kloiber, who mostly financed his own campaign.

Gorton, 74, a registered nurse and former vice mayor, won with 71% of the vote.

Dan Wu, a small business owner and political newcomer, finished first in the six-way race for three at-large council seats with 21% of the vote, according to unofficial results. So Wu soon will lead the council as vice mayor.

The other two at-large seat winners were James Brown and Chuck Ellinger II.

Franklin County keep Judge Shepherd

Franklin County voters kept Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd on the bench for another term after an expensive campaign against Republican lawyer Joe Bilby, who works for Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles.

The two judges in Franklin Circuit Court, in the capital city of Frankfort, decide many high-profile cases involving the state’s top elected leaders. Republicans who are frustrated because Shepherd sometimes rules against them backed Bilby’s challenge, but local voters familiar with the judge appeared to favor Shepherd by large numbers.

Kentucky’s judicial races are officially nonpartisan.

Turnout over 50%

“Pretty sure we’re going to hit or surpass 50% turnout,” Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams tweeted at 8:18 p.m.

Sen. Rand Paul re-elected

The Associated Press has called the U.S. Senate race in Kentucky for Republican incumbent Rand Paul, who will get a third term in Washington, over Democratic challenger Charles Booker.

Sen. Rick Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, congratulated Paul in a statement.

“As one of our leading advocates for liberty, Kentucky families know Rand will fight for them in Washington. I look forward to continuing to serve alongside Rand in the Senate,” said Scott, R-Fla.

Also, the AP called the 5th Congressional District in Southeastern Kentucky for U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Somerset, who will be serving his 22nd term. Voters first elected Rogers in 1980, the same year Ronald Reagan was elected president for his first term.

In Central Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District, the AP called the race for U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, R-Lexington. Barr defeated Democratic challenger Geoff Young, a perennial candidate who won the May Democratic primary despite not having the backing of state Democratic Party leaders.

Barr, a lawyer who first took office in 2013, has, like many Republicans, aligned himself with former President Donald Trump in recent years.

Real-time results

Get real-time election results on Kentucky.com throughout the evening.

For U.S. Senate and U.S. House races, click here.

For Kentucky legislative races, click here.

For local Lexington and Fayette County races, including the mayoral race, click here.

Live updates tonight

Kentuckians went to the polls Tuesday to consider two possible amendments to their state Constitution — on legislative sessions and women’s access to abortion — and to pick from among hundreds of candidates for local, state and federal political office, plus judges for local and appellate courts.

Long lines in some Kentucky counties meant that some polling places might have needed to remain open past 6 p.m. local time, according to the Kentucky Secretary of State’s office. Those counties include Fayette, Bullitt, Kenton, Hopkins, Lincoln and Oldham, she said.

We’ll bring you the highlights of the higher-profile races, including the state legislature, the Kentucky Supreme Court and Congress, as results are reported.

Check back here for updates.