Kentucky held its general election on November 6, 2012, deciding 119 legislative seats. No chamber changed party control.
Highlights
- Divided government held: Democrats kept the House with a smaller majority, 55-45, and Republicans added a Senate seat, for a 23-14-1 split that includes one independent. Races for both chambers ran on the 2002 district lines after a state court struck down the new maps in February. The Senate also lost its longtime leader: President David Williams (R), who had led the chamber since 2000 and lost the 2011 governor's race to Gov. Steve Beshear (D), resigned days before the election after Beshear appointed him a circuit judge.
- In all, 9 seats changed party, seven toward Republicans and two toward Democrats. Three incumbents lost to Republicans:
- Whitney Westerfield (R) unseated Sen. Joey Pendleton (D) by about 300 votes in Senate District 3, the Senate's only flip.
- Toby Herald (R) beat Rep. Teddy Edmonds (D) by about 130 votes in House District 91.
- Russell Webber (R) beat Rep. Linda Belcher (D) by about 6 points in House District 49, reversing their 2010 race, which Belcher won by about 100 votes.
- Democrats' two gains came in the House: Denny Butler (D) unseated Rep. Mike Nemes (R) by about 18 points in House District 38, and Gerald Watkins (D) won the open House District 3. The closest race of the night was in House District 7, where Rep. John Arnold Jr. (D) held on by 5 votes over Tim Kline (R).
- Voters overwhelmingly approved the lone statewide question, the hunting and fishing amendment.
Legislature
- House (100 seats): 59 D, 41 R before the election, 55 D, 45 R after; control stayed with Democrats.
- Senate (38 seats): 15 D, 22 R, 1 other or vacant before the election, 14 D, 22 R, 2 other or vacant after; control stayed with Republicans.
Legislative races
Ballot measures
| Measure | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
| House Bill 1 | Would protect the right of residents to hunt and fish in the state. | Passed (84.49% yes) |