The 2026 campaign season in Northern Kentucky won’t just decide who fills Mitch McConnell’s Senate seat or whether Thomas Massie keeps his congressional post — it could also reshape county leadership that has been steady for nearly three decades.
Currently, the big races to watch are the U.S. Senate, U.S. House and Boone, Kenton and Campbell County Judges/Executive races. For the 2026 Kentucky primary election, the candidate filing period begins on Nov. 5 and ends at 4 p.m. on Jan. 9, 2026. The primary election is held on May 19, 2026, and the general election is on Nov. 3, 2026.
Chairman of the Kenton County Republican Party, Shane Noem, said that, other than those three races, everything seems pretty much par for the course for 2026.
“I think most Northern Kentuckians are very satisfied with their local government, and a lot of the cities and counties have been lowering taxes or at least not raising them, even with economic uncertainty, and that bodes well for incumbents,” Noem told LINK nky.
Vice Chair of the Campbell County Democratic Party Brandon Long said that in 2026, people can expect to see a united Democratic party that puts up candidates, particularly for board of education and city council races locally and the U.S. House and Senate races.
“I think a lot of people are seeing what’s going on and are feeling the pain of things,” Long said. “I think that we’re going to see a whole new generation of candidates who have lived this struggle, they’re going to rise up, and they’re going to defend the programs that are getting cut.”
U.S. Senate
A U.S. Senator from Kentucky is elected by the statewide vote, not by district or county; therefore, Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties all vote on the same senatorial contest.
Why is the 2026 race one to watch? Incumbent Sen. Mitch McConnell, who first took office in 1985, has said he will not seek reelection in 2026, creating an open seat.
U.S. House
The current U.S. Representative is Republican Thomas Massie, who has held the seat since a special election in 2012.
Something to keep an eye on during this race is that President Donald Trump is actively seeking to challenge Massie in the Republican primary, backing potential rivals and making this one of the more-watched primaries in the state.
The majority of the district’s voters live in Boone, Kenton and Campbell Counties, but it also stretches into sections of Eastern Kentucky and much of the suburban counties surrounding Louisville.
Boone, Kenton and Campbell Judges/Executive races
The judge/executive serves a four-year term and may be re-elected indefinitely.
Judges’/executive primary responsibilities are creating a county budget and administering the budget as approved by the fiscal court, oversight of the funds, appointing county personnel and forming relationships with organizations and industry leaders that support their county.
What to watch: whether incumbents seek re-election or step aside. An open race is more competitive. Two of the three current NKY judges/executives have held their positions since the 1990s.
- Boone County Judge/Executive Gary Moore has served in the role since 1998.
- Campbell County Judge/Executive Steve Pendery has been in office since 1999.
- Kenton County Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann has been in the position since 2015.
What are some of the local issues top of mind that candidates might push?
Noem said healthcare and education.
“There’s still a lot of meaningful work to be done,” he said. “I think a lot of our elections are going to be focused on who can right the ship in a big way. And the issues that matter most to Kentuckians are health and education.”
Long said that eliminating the income tax will be a hot-button issue at the state level, but said the biggest issue is struggling working families.
“I think the biggest problem is going to be that working families are going to experience the cuts that have been happening here in Kentucky at the state level, but also federally,” he said. “The truth is that working families are getting crushed by the policies that right now favor the wealthy few.”
One issue all candidates compete with is voter turnout. So, what can they do to engage voters in 2026?
“I think candidates should focus on the issues people are actually talking about,” Noem said. “Not the ones social media tells them are important. Just because a vocal minority is tweeting about it doesn’t mean it’s what people actually talk about at the dinner table.”
Regarding what Democrats need to do to win NKY, Long said he thinks Democrats have to get back to being the party that speaks about the dignity of work and the struggle of ordinary families.
“Particularly in red spaces that they don’t see Democrats often, people want leaders who understand what it’s like to juggle rent and groceries and health care, and also leaders who have the courage to stand up and speak against the corporate interests,” he said.