Many Kentucky Races to Go Uncontested in November
Dozens of statewide legislative seats and several Fayette and Madison County offices will have only one name on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Elections
Live Poll
In your area, would you vote for a local candidate running unopposed?
Multiple Kentucky races will appear uncontested on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Statewide, 57 of 119 legislative races have only one candidate printed on the ballot.
Why it matters
Voters in Kentucky may find that their ballots offer no choice in many races, including local offices in Fayette and Madison counties. Voter attention appears focused on national politics rather than local contests, and longtime officeholders may discourage challengers.
Of the 119 Kentucky legislative races on the November 3, 2026 ballot, 57 have only one candidate, including 7 Senate and 50 House races. Republicans hold 49 of the uncontested seats and Democrats hold eight, and it is not yet clear whether further filings will change these counts.
The players
Jimmy Cornelison
Madison County Coroner Jimmy Cornelison is running unopposed for reelection this cycle.
The details
Fayette County's judge-executive, county clerk, county attorney and sheriff races are uncontested, and Madison County has uncontested races including coroner, where incumbent Jimmy Cornelison is running unopposed. In Lexington's Urban County Council, five of 12 districts are uncontested this cycle while seven offer voters a choice.
Timeline
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Kentucky voters head to the polls, with uncontested races appearing on the ballot.
Big Picture
The uncontested Urban County Council split in 2026 mirrors the 2024 cycle's overall count but with different districts going unchallenged. That pattern suggests the Lexington council's competitive map is changing from one election to the next rather than settling into fixed patterns.
Voters in uncontested districts will see only one name on their ballots for those offices. Residents of Lexington and Fayette and Madison counties should check their specific district or county ballot before voting to know which races offer a choice.
The takeaway
Many Kentucky ballot choices in 2026 will be decided before election day, since only one candidate is listed in dozens of races. Voters who want a choice in their local races may want to look closely at their own district and county ballot.
Further reading
For more on how candidate fields are formed, see our Elections coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Wkyt.
Live Poll
In your area, would you vote for a local candidate running unopposed?
