With a little more than 40 days until the general election, Kentucky House Democrats and Republicans both vie to hold onto the seats that they have or gain new ground in the state’s few remaining purple districts.
Among the complex political dynamics of northern Kentucky — with its generally blue-leaning Cincinnati suburbs, the growing upstart “liberty” faction of the GOP and more ideologically mainstream Republicans — the last House Democrat in northern Kentucky decided not to run for reelection this year. Minority Whip Rep. Rachel Roberts from Newport said it was the right choice for her family to not run to represent her portion of Campbell County again.
Campbell County, considered to be part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area , voted by an 18.6% margin for Donald Trump in 2020. However, the county also voted for Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear in both 2019 and 2023. It’s currently split between Roberts and two state House Republicans. Roberts’ district is more liberal than the county as a whole; while 54% of the county voted for Beshear, he got 63% in her district.