Meet the candidates running for Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District

The race for Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District is getting crowded on both sides of the aisle.

After U.S. Rep. Andy Barr announced a bid to replace outgoing U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, candidates quickly began throwing their names into the ring to take his seat representing Central Kentucky.

The district hasn’t had an open seat in more than a dozen years, with many seeing the 2026 election as a rare chance to run for federal office.

Here’s a look at who is — and who isn’t — running for the seat.

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Who’s in?

Ralph Alvarado (R)

Ralph Alvarado is a former state senator and ex-Gov. Matt Bevin’s running mate in his unsuccessful 2019 reelection campaign.

He made history as the first Hispanic person elected to the Kentucky General Assembly when he won his seat in 2014. After serving in the state Senate, he was hired as Tennessee’s health commissioner by Gov. Bill Lee in 2022 and stepped down from the position July 11.

In his campaign announcement, Alvarado called himself “Day One MAGA” with priorities to “close the border,” “crush the woke left,” “bring jobs home” and “save America.”

Zach Dembo (D)

Zach Dembo is a former federal prosecutor and U.S. Navy JAG officer.

“Central Kentucky deserves to have a representative in Washington who stands up for families, works to lower their cost of living, expands access to affordable healthcare, and protects their safety,” Dembo said in a press release. “Instead, D.C. politicians have put Medicaid on the chopping block, tariffs are targeting our most prized industries and jobs, and everything costs more – all while they give billionaires and coastal elites a massive tax break.”

Dembo has never served in an elected office, but he has previously worked as a policy advisor for Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.

Ryan Dotson (R)

State Rep. Ryan Dotson announced his campaign minutes after Barr shared he would be running for Senate in 2026.

Dotson has represented District 73 in the Kentucky state House since 2021 and has spent time in the Army. Now, he serves as a Pentecostal preacher and a businessman who owns a number of restaurants.

Policy-wise, Dotson is known for being at the forefront of culture wars during his time in Frankfort. Ahead of the 2022 legislative session, he filed a bill to prohibit transgender women from playing on women’s sports teams at public schools and colleges in Kentucky.

Dotson in 2021 also called for Beshear’s impeachment over a mask mandate in schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deanna Frazier Gordon (R)

State Rep. Deanna Gordon, one of the most recent contenders to make a bid, has represented District 81 in the Kentucky House since 2019.

In her campaign announcement, she touted her small business background experience as an audiologist, saying she “helped build the largest audiology clinic in Kentucky.”

Since selling her business, Bluegrass Hearing, Gordon started a clinic called Hear At Your Service in Richmond.

Gordon emphasized she would serve the “working class, not the Wall Street elite.” Issues important to her include limiting government spending and stopping illegal immigration.

David Kloiber (D)

David Kloiber served on the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council from 2020 to 2022. He also ran for Lexington mayor against incumbent Linda Gorton but lost with only 29% of the vote.

Kloiber is hoping his business and nonprofit experience appeals to voters in the Democratic primary. He runs the Kloiber Foundation, which provides technology to students and teachers in Fayette County, and is expected to be able to put a significant amount of his own money into the race.

During the 2022 Lexington mayoral race, he put $630,000 of his own money into the campaign.

Cherlynn Stevenson (D)

Former state Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson is hoping to make a comeback in Kentucky politics. She made her campaign announcement in May, touting her Kentucky roots and previous experience in Frankfort.

Stevenson represented Kentucky House District 88 from 2019 through 2024, serving as minority caucus chair during her second term.

She lost the election for a fourth term to Republican Vanessa Grossl in 2024, receiving 49.5% of the vote.

Stevenson has received the endorsement of Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, whose name was also thrown around as a contender in the Democratic primary. Since the launch of her campaign, Stevenson has focused on fighting against tariffs and cuts to the Medicaid program, if elected.

Who’s out?

Amanda Mays Bledsoe (R)

State Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe, who represents District 12, was seen as an early front-runner in the Republican primary. But she recently ended speculation by announcing she wouldn’t be running for Barr’s seat.

Mays Bledsoe said in a statement that while it “was not an easy decision,” she knew it was “the right one” because the timing wasn’t right for her and her family.

“As I imagined what it would take to fully commit to a campaign and to service in Washington, I kept coming back to Friday night games, school events, and everyday moments I don’t want to miss,” Mays Bledsoe said.

Damon Thayer (R)

Former state Sen. Damon Thayer, who previously served as Senate Majority Floor Leader while representing District 17, also announced he would not launch a campaign.

Instead, he decided to endorse Alvarado, who he called a “true conservative who will put America First, secure the border and take the right to the radical left.”

“He’s tough, tested, and ready to win,” Thayer said in a social media post. “I’m all in for Ralph.”

Reach reporter Hannah Pinski at hpinski@courier-journal.com or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @hannahpinski.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky 6th Congressional district candidates: Who’s in, who’s out