A Democrat hasn’t come close to winning a U.S. Senate seat in Kentucky in more than 20 years, having been blown out by Republicans by large margins in past general elections. National organizations tracking and predicting elections also don’t give Democrats much of a shot this time around But with a rare open seat with […]
Author Archives: Kentucky Lantern
Posted inElections
Trump allies back Barr as Cameron makes a play for Liberty GOP in Kentucky Senate primary
When President Donald Trump endorsed U.S. Rep. Andy Barr to become the next senator from Kentucky the day before the Kentucky Derby, some believed the Republican primary to be over. But Barr says his campaign is “working harder than ever” ahead of the May 19 election. “I run every race that I’ve ever had, as […]
Posted inElections
Trump endorses Barr; Morris drops out of U.S. Senate race
President Donald Trump gave his “Complete and Total Endorsement” of U.S. Rep. Andy Barr in a post on Truth Social Friday. Following the news of the endorsement, Lexington businessman Nate Morris dropped out of the race. He posted on X he was endorsing Barr — after the two have traded jabs in debates, ads and on the […]
Posted inNews
Kentucky overdose deaths declined in 2025 in four-year downward trend
Help is available to Kentuckians living with addiction. For resources, visit https://findhelpnow.org/ky. In physical emergencies, call 911. For mental health crises, call or text 988. Locate free Naloxone (Narcan), which can reverse overdoses, near you here. For the fourth year in a row, the number of Kentuckians who died from drug overdoses declined in 2025, according to […]
Posted inNews
Fixes to KY optometry licensing problems fall short, say national board, state lawmaker
The state board that oversees optometrists has established an advisory “work group” as it considers changes in response to a controversy about optometrists it improperly licensed in recent years by waiving testing requirements. But the plan doesn’t sit well with Sen. Stephen Meredith, R-Leitchfield, whose measure to create an outside task force to review operations of the Kentucky Board […]
Posted inElections
Democrat Jacqueline Coleman announces 2027 run for Kentucky governor
Standing in front of the Hall of Governors at the Kentucky Historical Society, Democratic Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman announced her 2027 run for governor Monday morning. The 43-year-old, who is a former teacher, assistant principal and basketball coach, is making public education a cornerstone of her campaign. Coleman was Gov. Andy Beshear’s running mate for […]
Posted inPolitics
Housing, data center legislation dies on final day of 2026 session
In the final hours of this year’s legislative session, Republicans sent more legislation to the governor but failed to pass bills aimed at tackling the state’s housing shortage and protecting ratepayers from bearing the costs of supplying electricity to data centers. The legislature also restored funding to public universities that it had earlier cut. Lawmakers […]
Posted inPolitics
Teen’s persistence pays off as legislature adopts rescue dogs, cats as official KY pet
Hitching a ride on the backs of Treeing Walker Coonhounds, rescue dogs and cats are set to become the official pets of Kentucky. Senate Bill 37, which designates the hound as Kentucky’s official state dog breed, passed both chambers of the General Assembly in the final hours of the 2026 legislative session. Bill sponsor Sen. […]
Posted inPolitics
Republican supermajority overrides most of Kentucky governor’s vetoes
The Kentucky General Assembly overrode most of Gov. Andy Beshear’s vetoes on Tuesday, including the judicial branch budget and most of the two-year state budget. Votes and floor speeches were largely along party lines. Democrats defended Beshear’s vetoes as House Floor Leader Steven Rudy, R-Paducah, called one veto “petulant and unconstitutional” and Speaker Pro Tem […]
Posted inNews
KY man challenges constitutionality of child sex doll ban. AG pushes back.
A Union County man is challenging — with pushback from Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman — a 2024 law that criminalized the possession of child sex dolls. Kenneth Moore, 50, was charged in August, according to court records, with a total of 16 counts of possession or viewing matter portraying a sexual performance by a […]
