Democrat Gary Clemons defeated Republican Calvin Leach to fill a vacant seat in the Kentucky state Senate.
Clemons, a South Louisville union leader and U.S. Army veteran, won the race with nearly 50 points of margin.
The district has long leaned Democratic, but Clemons’ victory margin far exceeds recent benchmarks. In the 2024 presidential election, former Vice President Kamala Harris carried the area by about six points, while Democrat David Yates beat Leach by approximately 20 points in a previous special election.
“Another election, another massive Democratic overperformance, this time in Kentucky,” said Democratic National Committee spokesman Abhi Rahman.
“I’ve spent my life working alongside the people who keep Louisville running—in factories, in shops, and in all jobs important in our neighborhoods—union or not,” Clemons stated.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear praised Clemons’ victory, noting: “Continuing the trend of Democrats outperforming previous elections by wide margins all over the country, congratulations to State Senator-Elect Gary Clemons in KY’s 37th Senate District.”
The seat remained vacant after David Yates was appointed interim Jefferson County clerk earlier this year. The special election drew a turnout of around 7 percent—just over 5,000 ballots—which illustrates how low-turnout December contests can produce outsized swings.
Clemons, president of United Steelworkers Local 1693, campaigned on bolstering support for working families, lowering costs for essentials, creating jobs, and representing blue-collar interests in the state legislature.