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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Money is flowing: Here's how much Kentucky's U.S. House candidates have raised
It might be an off-year for Kentucky elections, but fundraising for the upcoming 2026 campaign cycle is well underway. The latest quarterly financial reports just released by the Federal Elections Commission show that Democrats and Republicans running for U.S. House have been working hard to fill their campaign coffers. Some candidates, like those in Central Kentucky's 6th Congressional District, are gearing up for competitive primary and general elections. Others are padding their already multi-million-dollar accounts. These reports show the amount of money raised, spent and left on hand as of June 30 of this year. Supporters plowed thousands into campaign coffers for three candidates for Central Kentucky's 6th Congressional District: Rep. Ryan Dotson, R-Winchester; former Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilman David Kloiber; and former state legislator Cherlynn Stevenson. The seat is being left by incumbent Rep. Andy Barr, who is one of several Republicans vying for Sen. Mitch McConnell's seat. After more than 40 years in the U.S. Senate, McConnell is not seeking reelection in 2026. Other Republicans and Democrats will join their rank, but either announced after the June 30 date or are expected to. In Northern Kentucky, 4th Congressional District Rep. Thomas Massie also posted one of the most impressive financial quarters of his political career. He might need it, given that President Donald Trump has pledged his efforts to unseat Massie for his insubordination in House votes as well as foreign policy discussions. Here's how they all stacked up: Stevenson has the fundraising edge in the early days of the Democratic primary campaign for the 6th Congressional District, though the primary is still 10 months off. The former House Democratic caucus chair, who was once seen as likely to lead the caucus before narrowly losing her House seat last year, has raised more than $210,000 since launching her campaign in mid-May. The campaign boasted that more than three-quarters of the contributions were less than $25 and that individual donors hailed from more than half of Kentucky's 120 counties. Aside from fundraising, Stevenson has racked up a long list of endorsements from Democratic leaders local and statewide. Chief among them are Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, Fayette County Attorney Angela Evans, state Sen. Reggie Thomas and several of her former colleagues in the state House. After reporting about $42,000 in expenditures thus far, Stevenson has about $168,000 on hand as of the end of June. In just a month's time, Kloiber isn't too far behind Stevenson in the fundraising game with $135,000 on hand as of June 30. That's thanks in large part to personal loans he has given his campaign. Of the $138,795 total raised during the quarter, $97,000 has come from Kloiber's own pocketbook, who loaned his campaign that amount in four installments during the month of June. Kloiber received $41,795 from individual donors, a majority of which came from Kentucky. The newest Democratic candidate has experience self-funding a major campaign. In 2022, Kloiber survived a primary contest to take on Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton. The incumbent mayor, a political mainstay in Fayette County, won by a decisive 42-point margin despite Kloiber putting in $630,000 of his own money, out-raising Gorton 4-to-1. Kloiber's family trust, which he is paid to help manage, is likely worth more than $1 billion, according to a Herald-Leader story from the 2022 campaign. His father put $310 million in the trust in 2008, funds earned from his share of the sale of a Lexington company, Exstream Software, to Hewlett-Packard. Lurking in the distance for the Democrats is Zach Dembo, a former federal prosecutor who worked in Gov. Andy Beshear's office for two years during Beshear's first term. Dembo is often mentioned as a potential candidate and has not denied interest in the race, but has not officially declared for a run. As of June 30, Dotson was on an island as the only Republican running for the 6th Congressional seat being made vacant by Barr's pursuit of higher office. That changed with the entrance of state Rep. Deanna Gordon, R-Richmond, and what seems like a probable bid from Ralph Alvarado, a former state senator. So far, Dotson raised about $95,975. A majority of that total came via $60,000 that Dotson, a pastor and businessman, loaned his own campaign. Individual contributions largely came from either Pike County, where he is from, or Clark County, where he lives. Having only $1,476 in reported expenses, Dotson's cash on hand as of June 30 was $94,198, per his Federal Elections Commission filing. Dotson, who had been openly considering running for the seat for a long time, officially declared for the seat in late April, giving him a little more than two months to raise funds ahead of the June 30 deadline. The race was seen in a different light by many just a couple weeks ago. Many observers had pegged state Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe, R-Lexington, a popular figure in the district's largest city, as the favorite, but she announced that she wouldn't seek the seat last week. Moments after Bledsoe's comments, Alvarado announced that he was 'strongly considering' entering the race. After more than 12 years in Congress, Rep. Thomas Massie broke some personal fundraising records this quarter. His campaign reported $584,325 raised from April through June, leaving it with $1.7 million on hand — the most its ever had. It comes at a time when some Massie allies are battening down the hatches for a fight, or, perhaps more accurately, a firebombing. In a series of posts on social media and in comments to the press, Trump has made it clear that getting rid of Massie via GOP primary is a priority. No candidate with significant name ID has stepped forward yet, but a political action committee, MAGA KY, has been formed for the purposes of bringing Massie down. That committee is led by Chris LaCivita, Trump's 2024 campaign co-manager. Numbers on just how much the group is willing to spend to bring Massie down vary, but it spent $1 million in a recent ad buy criticizing the congressman's anti-interventionist foreign policy stances and just announced another round of spending at $800,000. The initial ad claimed he 'sided with the ayatollah' in a reference to Massie's opposition to the Trump-authorized strikes on Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities, and the second one tries to pair Massie with Democrats for his opposition to Trump's biggest legislative push. Massie's campaign says he has raised just over $1 million this cycle. The congressman also said in the statement to the Herald-Leader that the funds spent against him are 'wasted,' given the GOP's precarious majority in the U.S. House. 'Every Republican I've talked to has said the $1.8 million they've wasted attacking me would be better spent defending our House majority,' Massie wrote. He also claimed that several elected officials in the 4th Congressional District have 'rejected' the recruiting efforts of his political enemies. 'They've been searching for months and still can't find a credible candidate,' Massie wrote. State Sen. Aaron Reed, R-Shelbyville, has been discussed as a potential contender, but has not indicated publicly if he'll take on Massie. Elon Musk, the world's richest man and CEO of companies like X, SpaceX and Tesla, has said he will support Massie this cycle. Musk was a key political supporter of Trump's, spending nearly $300 million on the 2024 presidential election, and an early force in his administration via the Department of Government Efficiency. Musk and Trump fell out later this spring and have been at odds with each other over government spending matters and more, prompting Musk to say he'll spend less on politics. Massie has another prominent ally, this one stateside. Sen. Rand Paul told reporters Monday that he would endorse Massie, an ideological fellow traveler in his libertarian leanings. Rep. James Comer continues to build on the massive trove of campaign cash he's amassed since becoming a congressman in 2016. He raised $256,000 in April, May and June, ending that period with more than $3.2 million on hand. Comer is widely believed to be considering a run for governor in 2027. In 2015, he narrowly lost the GOP nomination for that office to Matt Bevin, who served one term as governor. The only Democrat to have registered to run against Comer, John Williams, has raised a little less than $4,000. In Eastern Kentucky's 5th Congressional District, newly-minted Democratic candidate for Rep. Hal Rogers' seat Ned Pillersdorf reported raising $11,045 in the period before June 30. Pillersdorf did not go public with his campaign until late June. Rogers, meanwhile, ended the period with a campaign warchest of $842,142 despite raising relatively little during that period. Rep. Morgan McGarvey of Louisville, the lone Democrat in Kentucky's federal delegation, raised about $256,000 this quarter. That left him with more than $1.3 million on hand; no Republican has filed to run against McGarvey thus far. Rep. Brett Guthrie, who represents the Western and South Central Kentucky 2nd Congressional District, had not reported his quarterly finances as of Tuesday afternoon. However, the longtime congressman who was recently named chair of the influential House Energy and Commerce Committee saw an influx of funds totaling more than $1 million during the first quarter of this year.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Richmond state rep says she'll be ‘true Trump MAGA voice' in U.S. Congress race
A state representative from Richmond is seeking the U.S. House of Representatives seat being left by Rep. Andy Barr. Deanna Gordon, a four-term Republican representative, announced Wednesday morning that she would enter the fray in the race to replace Barr for the 6th Congressional District. In a statement sent to the Herald-Leader, Gordon said she'll be a 'true Trump MAGA voice' in Washington. 'The American people delivered President Trump a clear mandate last fall: America needs a new direction focused on American job growth and economic opportunity, not one fixated on DEI initiatives, transgender ideology and failed progressive policies,' Gordon wrote. Gordon joins a crowding field. Fellow state Rep. Ryan Dotson, R-Winchester, has been in the race for months and Ralph Alvarado, the former state senator who currently leads the Department of Health for the state of Tennessee, has indicated he'll likely run as well. Two prominent Democrats have declared for the 6th Congressional District. Cherlynn Stevenson, a former member of Democratic House leadership, and David Kloiber, a former Lexington city councilman and mayoral candidate, are both vying for the nomination. Gordon's entry into Kentucky politics started with a bang. She defeated C. Wesley Morgan, a controversial politician who ruffled feathers within the party ranks, in a GOP primary contest in 2018 and survived a tight challenge — winning by just 24 votes — in the general election against Morgan Eaves, who is now the executive director of the Kentucky Democratic Party. Since gaining office, Gordon has kept a relatively low profile in the General Assembly, serving on various committees and paying close attention to local issues like the disarmament process at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Madison County. An audiologist by trade, the release from Gordon's campaign states that she 'helped build the largest audiology clinic in Kentucky.' That's a reference to Bluegrass Hearing, which she sold a few years ago. She has since started a Richmond-based clinic called 'Hear at Your Service.' Gordon focused her early messaging on her small business background, saying she would serve the 'working class, not the Wall Street elite.' She also touched on the popular conservative issues of cracking down on illegal immigration and limiting government spending. 'We need a Congress that never backs down from trimming government, ending failed progressive policies pushed by Ivy League institutions, and securing the border by having the backbone to not only build a wall, but deport those here illegally, no questions asked,' Gordon wrote. 'Central Kentucky isn't looking for a puppet or the next in line – they want someone who understands real-world problems and fixes them, not kicks the can down the road while being more concerned about the consequences of the next election.' The 6th Congressional District is anchored by Fayette County, which makes up about 44% of the population. The county's centrality is a part of the reason why, with Barr gone, some Democrats think they could flip the district blue for the first time since 2012. Fayette County has reliably voted Democrat in most recent elections. The other counties in the 6th Congressional District, in order of population, are Madison, Scott, Jessamine, Montgomery, Woodford, Mercer, Bourbon, Garrard, Fleming, Estill, Powell and Nicholas. Aside from Fayette, the other counties in the district generally lean Republican.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lexington state senator ends speculation, says she won't run for Congress
State Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe is not running for Congress after all. After months of speculation about the Lexington Republican's potential candidacy for the 6th Congressional District — which is set to become vacant with Rep. Andy Barr running for U.S. Senate — Bledsoe closed the door on a run for the district in a Monday interview with the Herald-Leader. The former member of Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council told the Herald-Leader that her decision was informed by a desire to be present for her kids finishing high school and a need for further surgeries to recover from a 2023 accident where a horse kicked her in the face. 'This was not an easy decision, but I know it's the right one. I had every confidence in my ability to win and to serve, but ultimately the timing is just not right for me and my family,' Bledsoe wrote in a statement. '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.' On the Republican side, only state Rep. Ryan Dotson, R-Winchester, has declared for the office. However, Bledsoe hinted in her statement that she would support someone who has yet to enter the race. 'A great candidate for this seat will be announcing in the coming days, and I'm going to be all-in with him,' Bledsoe wrote. Moments after Bledsoe's announcement, former GOP state senator and current Tennessee health department commissioner Ralph Alvarado hinted that he'd run for the seat. 'With my dear friend Amanda Mays Bledsoe announcing she's not running for Congress in KY-6, I wanted to let everyone know that my wife, Dawn, and I are strongly considering this race,' Alvarado wrote. 'Both as a doctor and in public service, my passion has always been in helping as many people as possible.' Two prominent Democrats have declared for the 6th Congressional District. Cherlynn Stevenson, a former member of Democratic House leadership, and David Kloiber, a former Lexington city councilman and mayoral candidate, are both vying for the nomination. Since her election to the state Senate in 2022, Bledsoe has risen the ranks to become vice chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations & Revenue Committee and has been assigned roles covering weighty issues like artificial intelligence. Bledsoe's state Senate district covers a swath of South Lexington as well as Woodford, Mercer and Boyle counties. Some Republicans saw her as the prohibitive favorite in the race for the 6th Congressional District nomination. Former state representative Killian Timoney called her the 'class entry' that would scare Democrats because of her bipartisan and policy bona fides. 'There are a lot of really good potential candidates, but if you're asking my opinion of who the class entry is on that one, it's definitely Amanda. I don't think there's a Democrat out there that could beat her,' Timoney said in April. Now, some politicos believe Bledsoe's deferral changes the calculus. 'Sen. Bledsoe was the clear frontrunner in the field with her high name ID in Fayette County combined with strong fundraising ability, support from a wide cross-section of the party, and vast policy skills,' T.J. Litafik, a Lexington-based GOP consultant, said. 'Her decision not to run throws the nomination wide open and could very well make for an especially competitive and interesting primary next May.'
