Who’s running for US Congress in Kentucky? Meet all the 2024 candidates

Kentucky’s half-dozen seats in the U.S. House of Representatives are up for grabs again in 2024, and several candidates are planning to challenge the incumbents.

Here’s a look at who’s entered the races to represent the Bluegrass State, according to filings with the Kentucky Secretary of State’s Office. Incumbents are listed in bold along with the district number — all six current office holders have filed to be on the ballot again in 2024.

District 1 — James Comer (R)

The First Congressional District covers West Kentucky as well as portions of south and central Kentucky.

• James Comer (R) — Comer has been in office since late 2016 and is currently chairman of the House Oversight Committee. He is from Tompkinsville.
• Erin Marshall (D) — Marshall, a Frankfort native, is a first-time candidate who supported Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd in his race last year.

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District 2 — Brett Guthrie (R)

The Second Congressional District covers much of Western Kentucky, from Muhlenberg County to LaRue County.

• Brett Guthrie (R) — Guthrie has been in office since 2009. He is from Bowling Green.
• William Dakota Compton (D) — Compton is a Bowling Green native and teacher at Warren East High School. He is currently a member of the Plum Springs City Commission, according to his campaign website.
• Hank Linderman (D) — Linderman grew up in Louisville and now lives in Grayson County, according to his campaign website. He is a musician with a goal of “confronting social and economic inequality head on.”

District 3 — Morgan McGarvey (D)

The Third Congressional District covers most of Jefferson County, where Louisville is located.

• Morgan McGarvey (D) — McGarvey is wrapping up his first term after being elected in 2022. He is from Louisville.
• Mike Craven (R) — Craven lives in Louisville. A Facebook page for a previous run for office describes him as a “life-long Louisville resident, husband, and United Auto Worker.”
• Denny Ormerod (R) — Ormerod is from Louisville. He was a candidate in the 2023 gubernatorial Republican primary, where he received 696 total votes.
• Jared Randall (D) — Randall lives in Louisville. He ran for a seat in the city’s Metro Council last year.
• Geoff Young (D) — Young lives in Lexington and has been a candidate for several offices over the years. As a candidate against Gov. Andy Beshear in the 2023 gubernatorial Democratic primary, he landed 9,865 total votes.

District 4 — Thomas Massie (R)

The Fourth Congressional District covers Northern Kentucky, including suburbs south of Cincinnati.

• Thomas Massie (R) — Massie lives in Lewis County and has represented the district since 2012.
• Eric Deters (R) — A firebrand Northern Kentucky attorney who’s faced accusations of racism, misdemeanor charges for chasing a teenage relative in a truck and a suspended law license in 2021, Deters previously ran in the 2023 primary for Kentucky governor, where he finished fourth.
• Michael McGinnis (R) — McGinnis lives in Fort Thomas. He did not appear to have a campaign website as of Jan. 5.

District 5 — Hal Rogers (R)

The Fifth Congressional District covers southeastern Kentucky.

• Hal Rogers (R) — Rogers, who lives in Somerset, has been in office since 1981, with 22 consecutive election wins.
• Dana Edwards (R) — Edwards lives in Manchester. A surgeon who has worked in Eastern Kentucky for 25 years, his campaign website calls him a “common sense Republican” who aims to “defeat the Woke Leftists.”
• David E. Kraftchak Jr. (R) — Kraftchak lives in London and goes by “Krafty,” his campaign website says. He is an airline pilot with U.S. Navy experience who believes “every American deserves the freedom to pursue their dreams and achieve their goals.”
• Brandon Monhollen (R) — Monhollen also lives in London and ran for U.S. Congress two years ago as well. He has a Facebook page offering campaign updates.

District 6 — Andy Barr (R)

The Sixth Congressional District covers central Kentucky, including the Lexington area.

• Andy Barr (R) — Barr lives in Lexington and has represented the district since 2013.
• Randy Cravens (D) — Cravens is a Paducah native who now lives in Richmond, according to his campaign website, and works in information technology. He believes “every individual has the right to be happy and free to live life as they wish” without fear of violence.
• Don B. Pratt (D) — A Lexington resident, Pratt is a social activist who wrote on his Facebook page that he entered the race to end the “Republican domination of the House.”
• Jonathan Richardson (D) — Richardson lives in Lexington. He did not appear to have a campaign website as of Jan. 5.
• Shauna Rudd (D) — Rudd lives in Lexington and appears to work as a mental health professional. She does not have a campaign website.
• Todd Kelly (D) — Kelly lives in Lexington. He did not appear to have a campaign website as of Jan. 5.

Reach Lucas Aulbach at laulbach@courier-journal.com.