1996 Kentucky Senate election

1996 Kentucky Senate election

← 1994 November 5, 1996 1998 →
19 out of 38 seats in the Kentucky Senate 20 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party Third party   Leader Larry Saunders Dan Kelly John A. Rose Party Coalition Republican Democratic Leader since January 7, 1997 November 12, 1994 January 5, 1993 Leader's seat 37th – Louisville 14th – Springfield 28th – Winchester Last election – 17 21 Seats won 5 18 15 Seat change 5 1 6 Seats up – 7 12 Races won – 8 11
Results Popular vote Results:      Democratic hold      Coalition gain      Republican hold      Republican gain      No election Popular vote:      50–60%      60–70%      >90%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      >90%
Senate President before election John A. Rose Democratic Elected Senate President Larry Saunders Coalition government

Elections in Kentucky
Federal government Presidential elections 1792 1796 1800 1804 1808 1812 1816 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Presidential primaries Democratic 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Republican 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 U.S. Senate elections 1792 1793 1794 1798 1800 1804 1805 sp 1806 1806 sp 1811 1813 1814 sp 1815 sp 1816 1816 sp 1818 1819 sp 1820 sp 1823 1824 sp 1829 1831 sp 1835 1836 1841 1842 1842 sp 1843 1848 1849 1849 sp 1851 1851 sp 1854 1858 1859 1861 sp 1865 1867 1868 sp 1871 1872 1873 sp 1876 1879 1882 1884 1888 1890 1890 sp 1893 sp 1894 1897 1900 1902 1906 1908 1912 1914 1914 sp 1918 1920 1924 1926 1930 1930 sp 1932 1936 1938 1940 sp 1942 1944 1946 sp 1948 1950 1950 sp 1952 sp 1954 1956 1956 sp 1960 1962 1966 1968 1972 1974 1978 1980 1984 1986 1990 1992 1996 1998 2002 2004 2008 2010 2014 2016 2020 2022 2026 2028 U.S. House of Representatives elections 1792 1793 1795 1797 1799 1801 1803 1804 1806 1808 1810 5th sp 1812 1813 8th sp 1814 2nd sp 1815 2nd sp 1816 1st sp 1818 1820 1821 8th sp 1822 1824 1825 3rd sp 1826 5th sp 12th sp 1827 11th sp 1828 2nd sp 1829 1831 1833 1834 5th sp 1835 1837 1839 1841 1843 1845 1847 1849 1851 1853 1854 3rd sp 1855 1857 1859 1861 1862 2nd sp 1863 1865 1866 3rd sp 5th sp 6th sp 1867 3rd sp 1868 1870 3rd sp 1872 1874 1876 1878 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 6th sp 1892 1894 9th sp 10th sp 1896 1898 1899 7th sp 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1923 7th sp 1924 9th sp 1925 3rd sp 1926 1928 1929 3rd sp 1930 2nd sp 1932 1934 1935 4th sp 1936 1937 2nd sp 1938 1940 1942 1943 4th sp 1944 1946 1948 2nd sp 9th sp 1950 1951 6th sp 1952 2nd sp 1953 2nd sp 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1971 6th sp 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 2nd sp 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 6th sp 2006 2008 2010 2012 4th sp 2014 2016 1st sp 2018 2020 2022 2024
State government State elections 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2020 2022 2023 2024 Gubernatorial elections 1792 1796 1800 1804 1808 1812 1816 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1851 1855 1859 1863 1867 1868 sp 1871 1875 1879 1883 1887 1891 1895 1899 1900 sp 1903 1907 1911 1915 1919 1923 1927 1931 1935 1939 1943 1947 1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023 2027 Secretary of State elections 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023 Attorney General elections 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023 State Treasurer elections 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023 State Auditor elections 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023 Agriculture Commissioner elections 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023 Senate elections 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 Special House of Representatives elections 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 Special Supreme Court elections 2008 2010 2012 2014 2015 sp 2016 2018 2019 sp 2020 2022 2024
Ballot measures 2004 Amendment 1 2022 Amendment 2 2024 Amendment 2
Lexington Mayoral elections 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Louisville Mayoral elections 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Government
v t

The 1996 Kentucky Senate election was held on November 5, 1996. The Republican and Democratic primary elections were held on May 28. Half of the senate (all odd-numbered seats) were up for election. Despite the Democratic Party maintaining a majority of 20 seats, five members joined all 18 Republicans to elect Larry Saunders the President of the Senate. This gave Republicans effective control of the Senate for the first time since 1920.^[1]

A numbered map of the senate districts at the time can be viewed here.

Party		Candidates		Votes	%	Seats
		Opposed	Unopposed			Before	Won	After	+/−
	Democratic	16	2	322,901	54.23	21	11	20	-1
	Republican	16	1	272,485	45.77	17	8	18	+1
Total		32	3	595,386	100.00	38	19	38	±0
Source: Kentucky Secretary of State

One senator retired, who did not run for another office. Additionally, Mike Moloney resigned from the senate on July 31, 1996.

1. 15th: James D. Crase (Somerset): Retired.

Two incumbents lost renomination in the primary election, and two incumbents lost reelection in the general election.

Two Democrats lost renomination.

1. 17th: Charlie Berger (first elected in 1979) lost renomination to Glenn Freeman, who won the general election.
2. 31st: Kelsey E. Friend Sr. (first elected in 1971) lost renomination to Gary C. Johnson, who won the general election.

No Republicans lost renomination.

One Democrat lost reelection to a Republican.

1. 23rd: Joseph U. Meyer (first elected in 1988) lost to Jack Westwood.

One Republican lost reelection to a Democrat.

1. 29th: John David Preston (elected in 1994) lost a redistricting race to fellow incumbent Benny Ray Bailey.

Certified results by the Kentucky Secretary of State are available online for the primary election and general election.

† – Incumbent not seeking re-election

District	Incumbent	Party		Elected	Party
1	Jeff Green		Dem	Jeff Green		Dem
3	Joey Pendleton		Dem	Joey Pendleton		Dem
5	Virgil Moore		Rep	Virgil Moore		Rep
7	Lindy Casebier		Rep	Lindy Casebier		Rep
9	Richard "Richie" Sanders		Rep	Richard "Richie" Sanders		Rep
11	Richard L. "Dick" Roeding		Rep	Richard L. "Dick" Roeding		Rep
13	Vacant			Ernesto Scorsone		Dem
15	James D. Crase†		Rep	Vernie McGaha		Rep
17	Charlie Berger		Dem	Glenn Freeman		Dem
19	Tim Shaughnessy		Dem	Tim Shaughnessy		Dem
21	Albert L. Robinson		Rep	Albert L. Robinson		Rep
23	Joseph U. Meyer		Dem	Jack Westwood		Rep
25	John David Preston		Rep	Robert Stivers		Rep
27	Walter "Doc" Blevins		Dem	Walter "Doc" Blevins		Dem
29	Benny Ray Bailey		Dem	Benny Ray Bailey		Dem
31	Kelsey E. Friend Sr.		Dem	Gary C. Johnson		Dem
33	Gerald A. Neal		Dem	Gerald A. Neal		Dem
35	David K. Karem		Dem	David K. Karem		Dem
37	Larry Saunders		Dem	Larry Saunders		Dem

Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:

1. District 5, 2.48%
2. District 7, 4.36%
3. District 25, 5.44%
4. District 17, 5.87%
5. District 23, 8.50% (gain)

Richard "Richie" Sanders was elected in June 1996 following the resignation of Walter Arnold Baker.

1996 Kentucky Senate 9th district special election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Richard "Richie" Sanders	6,908	58.6
	Democratic	John "Jake" D. Dickinson	4,889	41.4
Total votes			11,797	100.0
	Republican hold

§ Special election

Incumbent senator Jeff Green won reelection unopposed.

• Jeff Green, incumbent senator

1996 Kentucky Senate 1st district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Jeff Green (incumbent)	Unopposed
Total votes			23,679	100.0
	Democratic hold

Incumbent senator Joey Pendleton won reelection, defeating Republican John Young.

• Joey Pendleton, incumbent senator

• John Young

1996 Kentucky Senate 3rd district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Joey Pendleton (incumbent)	13,043	55.6
	Republican	John Young	10,416	44.4
Total votes			23,459	100.0
	Democratic hold

Incumbent senator Virgil Moore won reelection, defeating Democrat Joe M. Hager.

• Joe M. Hager

• Harold E. Davidson

Democratic primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Joe M. Hager	3,455	66.9
	Democratic	Harold E. Davidson	1,706	33.1
Total votes			5,161	100.0

• Virgil Moore, incumbent senator

1996 Kentucky Senate 5th district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Virgil Moore (incumbent)	16,738	51.2
	Democratic	Joe M. Hager	15,928	48.8
Total votes			32,666	100.0
	Republican hold

Incumbent senator Lindy Casebier won reelection, defeating Democrat Charles W. Miller.

• Charles W. Miller

• Dennis Mitchell

Democratic primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Charles W. Miller	4,068	51.4
	Democratic	Dennis Mitchell	3,848	48.6
Total votes			7,916	100.0

• Lindy Casebier, incumbent senator

1996 Kentucky Senate 7th district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Lindy Casebier (incumbent)	19,929	52.2
	Democratic	Charles W. Miller	18,263	47.8
Total votes			38,192	100.0
	Republican hold

Incumbent senator Richard "Richie" Sanders won reelection, defeating Democrat John "Jake" D. Dickinson.

• John "Jake" D. Dickinson

• Richard "Richie" Sanders, incumbent senator

1996 Kentucky Senate 9th district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Richard "Richie" Sanders (incumbent)	19,632	60.6
	Democratic	John "Jake" D. Dickinson	12,777	39.4
Total votes			32,409	100.0
	Republican hold

Incumbent senator Richard L. "Dick" Roeding won reelection, defeating Democrat Sandra Easton.

• Sandra Easton

• Richard L. "Dick" Roeding, incumbent senator

1996 Kentucky Senate 11th district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Richard L. "Dick" Roeding (incumbent)	28,604	66.2
	Democratic	Sandra Easton	14,595	33.8
Total votes			43,199	100.0
	Republican hold

Incumbent senator Mike Moloney resigned from the senate in July 1996. He was succeeded by Democrat Ernesto Scorsone, who was elected in both the regular election and a special election for the remainder of Moloney's term.

• Ernesto Scorsone, representative from the 75th district (1985–1996)

• N. Mitchell Meade

1996 Kentucky Senate 13th district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Ernesto Scorsone	18,262	61.1
	Republican	N. Mitchell Meade	11,639	38.9
Total votes			29,901	100.0
	Democratic hold

1996 Kentucky Senate 13th district special election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Ernesto Scorsone	14,533	60.0
	Republican	N. Mitchell Meade	9,686	40.0
Total votes			24,219	100.0
	Democratic hold

Incumbent senator James D. Crase did not seek reelection. He was succeeded by Republican Vernie McGaha.

• Gene Daniels

• Vernie McGaha

• S. David Carr
• Larry Sears Nichols
• William J. Wilson Jr.

Republican primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Vernie McGaha	4,836	51.5
	Republican	William J. Wilson, Jr.	1,665	17.7
	Republican	S. David Carr	1,531	16.3
	Republican	Larry Sears Nichols	1,355	14.4
Total votes			9,387	100.0

1996 Kentucky Senate 15th district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Vernie McGaha	23,733	72.8
	Democratic	Gene Daniels	8,845	27.2
Total votes			32,578	100.0
	Republican hold

Incumbent Democratic senator Charlie Berger was defeated for renomination by Glenn Freeman.

• Glenn Freeman

• Bill Blair Baird
• Charlie Berger, incumbent senator

Democratic primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Glenn Freeman	6,011	51.8
	Democratic	Charlie Berger (incumbent)	4,162	35.9
	Democratic	Bill Blair Baird	1,421	12.3
Total votes			11,594	100.0

• J. C. Ausmus III

• Johnnie Lloyd Turner

Republican primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	J. C. Ausmus III	2,286	59.6
	Republican	Johnnie Lloyd Turner	1,548	40.4
Total votes			3,834	100.0

1996 Kentucky Senate 17th district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Glenn Freeman	14,520	52.9
	Republican	J. C. Ausmus III	12,909	47.1
Total votes			27,429	100.0
	Democratic hold

Incumbent senator Tim Shaughnessy won reelection, defeating Republican Barbara "Bobbie" Holsclaw.

• Tim Shaughnessy, incumbent senator

• Barbara "Bobbie" Holsclaw

1996 Kentucky Senate 19th district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Tim Shaughnessy (incumbent)	24,198	59.3
	Republican	Barbara "Bobbie" Holsclaw	16,632	40.7
Total votes			40,830	100.0
	Democratic hold

Incumbent senator Albert L. Robinson won reelection, defeating primary election challengers.

• Albert L. Robinson, incumbent senator

• Michael Dean
• Helen Jackson

Republican primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Albert L. Robinson (incumbent)	3,694	62.0
	Republican	Michael Dean	1,578	26.5
	Republican	Helen Jackson	688	11.5
Total votes			5,960	100.0

1996 Kentucky Senate 21st district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Albert L. Robinson (incumbent)	Unopposed
Total votes			20,450	100.0
	Republican hold

Incumbent senator Joseph U. Meyer was defeated for reelection by Republican Jack Westwood.

• Joseph U. Meyer, incumbent senator

• Jack Westwood

• Joyce M. Macke
• Joe Mattioli

Republican primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jack Westwood	1,172	50.1
	Republican	Joe Mattioli	706	30.2
	Republican	Joyce M. Macke	460	19.7
Total votes			2,338	100.0

1996 Kentucky Senate 23rd district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jack Westwood	16,429	54.3
	Democratic	Joseph U. Meyer (incumbent)	13,854	45.7
Total votes			30,283	100.0
	Republican gain from Democratic

Incumbent senator John David Preston was redistricted to the 29th district and was succeeded by Robert Stivers.

• Charles M. Derrickson

• Robert Stivers

1996 Kentucky Senate 25th district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Robert Stivers	14,027	52.7
	Democratic	Charles M. Derrickson	12,579	47.3
Total votes			26,606	100.0
	Republican hold

Incumbent senator Walter "Doc" Blevins won reelection, defeating Republican Randy Memmer.

• Walter "Doc" Blevins, incumbent senator

• Randy Memmer

• Mary "Candy" Parker
• Duane Porter

Republican primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Randy Memmer	1,118	43.0
	Republican	Duane Porter	1,038	40.0
	Republican	Mary "Candy" Parker	441	17.0
Total votes			2,597	100.0

1996 Kentucky Senate 27th district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Walter "Doc" Blevins (incumbent)	18,211	60.1
	Republican	Randy Memmer	12,113	39.9
Total votes			30,324	100.0
	Democratic hold

Incumbent senator Benny Ray Bailey won reelection, defeating Republican senator John David Preston, who had been redistricted from the 25th district.

• Benny Ray Bailey, incumbent senator

• John David Preston, senator from the 25th district (1994–1997)

1996 Kentucky Senate 29th district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Benny Ray Bailey (incumbent)	18,878	61.2
	Republican	John David Preston	11,978	38.8
Total votes			30,856	100.0
	Democratic hold

Incumbent Democratic senator Kelsey E. Friend Sr. was defeated for renomination by Gary C. Johnson.

• Gary C. Johnson

• Kelsey E. Friend Sr., incumbent senator

Democratic primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Gary C. Johnson	8,322	54.6
	Democratic	Kelsey E. Friend, Sr. (incumbent)	6,923	45.4
Total votes			15,245	100.0

• Kevin Hall

1996 Kentucky Senate 31st district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Gary C. Johnson	18,167	64.1
	Republican	Kevin Hall	10,154	35.9
Total votes			28,321	100.0
	Democratic hold

Incumbent senator Gerald A. Neal won reelection unopposed.

• Gerald A. Neal, incumbent senator

1996 Kentucky Senate 33rd district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Gerald A. Neal (incumbent)	Unopposed
Total votes			24,373	100.0
	Democratic hold

Incumbent senator David K. Karem won reelection, defeating Republican Bruce McCrea.

• David K. Karem, incumbent senator

• Bruce McCrea

1996 Kentucky Senate 35th district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	David K. Karem (incumbent)	30,381	65.4
	Republican	Bruce McCrea	16,096	34.6
Total votes			46,477	100.0
	Democratic hold

Incumbent senator Larry Saunders won reelection, defeating Republican William C. Cothron.

• Larry Saunders, incumbent senator

• William C. Cothron

1996 Kentucky Senate 37th district election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Larry Saunders (incumbent)	22,348	67.0
	Republican	William C. Cothron	11,006	33.0
Total votes			33,354	100.0
	Democratic hold

• 1996 Kentucky elections
  • 1996 Kentucky House of Representatives election
  • 1996 United States Senate election in Kentucky
  • 1996 United States House of Representatives elections in Kentucky