Hesterberg Wins Kentucky 95th House District Seat

Republican Tanner Hesterberg defeated Johnny Ray Turner to succeed Democrat Ashley Tackett Laferty in the Kentucky House.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a wooded ridgeline across a misty valley with a single distant flagpole, in deep green, cream, and muted red. — Republican Tanner Hesterberg won Kentucky's 95th House District seat with 58.68 percent of the vote, defeating Democrat Johnny Ray Turner. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Republican Tanner Hesterberg won the Kentucky 95th House District election, receiving 58.68 percent of the vote against Johnny Ray Turner's 41.25 percent. Hesterberg will succeed Democrat Ashley Tackett Laferty, who has served the seat since 2019.

Why it matters

The result shifts representation for the Floyd and Pike county areas that make up the district. Hesterberg's campaign centered on direct, in-person contact with voters across the district's communities.

Hesterberg received 58.68 percent of the vote to Turner's 41.25 percent. Turner, a former state senator, served Floyd County for 20 years in Frankfort, while Hesterberg knocked on more than 5,000 doors and attended nearly 100 community events.

The players

Tanner Hesterberg

Tanner Hesterberg is a Republican who won the 95th House District seat in the Kentucky House of Representatives.

Johnny Ray Turner

Johnny Ray Turner is a former Kentucky state senator who served Floyd County for 20 years in Frankfort.

Ashley Tackett Laferty

Ashley Tackett Laferty is a Democrat who has represented the Kentucky 95th House District since 2019.

The details

Hesterberg campaigned by meeting voters face-to-face, sitting with them in their living rooms and on porches across the district. Turner had a long record of service in Frankfort, but the margin of victory points to a clear preference among voters in the district.

November 4, 2026: Hesterberg's victory is reported for the 95th House District.
Over the next 25 years: Floyd and Pike counties are projected to be the two fastest-shrinking counties in Kentucky.

Political Context

The district's two main counties, Floyd and Pike, are projected to be the two fastest-shrinking counties in Kentucky over the next 25 years. Representation in the seat will therefore be shaped by a shrinking electorate in those communities.

Hesterberg will represent Kentucky's 95th House District in the state legislature, shaping state laws that affect residents of Floyd and Pike counties. Residents will look to their new representative to address the shrinking population trends projected for the region.

The takeaway

A single state House seat can carry outsized weight for a district facing long-term population decline. Voters who want to track how Hesterberg represents them can follow his votes as the legislative session begins.