Kentucky political observers will be looking to see what impact the election's outcome will have on the Kentucky Democratic Party's bid to retain control of the state House against a Republican challenge.
With 23 seats contested in the House, here's a quick look at some of the races that will add clarity to that question:
District 10. Western Kentucky state Rep. Ben Waide, a Republican, has announced he'll be seeking Hopkins County judge-executive post, leaving the field wide open to three Republicans and a lone Democrat vying for a chance to replace him. Waide replaced longtime Democratic incumbent Eddie Ballard in 2010, besting Democratic opponent Michael Duncan by 1,596 votes. Democrats will be eager to win this seat back despite its newfound Republican leanings.
District 13. Incumbent Democrat state Rep. Jim Glenn has held the seat since 2007. But each year he has won re-election, his margin of victory has dwindled. Sensing weakness, Democratic challenger J.D. Warfield will attempt to provide fresh blood to a race in a district that appears just narrowly Democratic-leaning. The winner of that race will square off against Owensboro financial services consultant J. Alan Braden, a Republican, in the fall.
District 25. State Rep. Jimmie Lee, an incumbent Democrat, has held the District 25 seat for more than 20 years. He is being challenged by Glenn Fonda, who ran unsuccessfully for the seat in 2012, garnering just under 4 percent of the vote against Lee's 77 percent—albeit via a three-way primary battle. If past is prologue, Lee may be able easily trump Fonda, but his margin of victory could provide a preview to his battle against Jim DuPlessis, a chemical engineer running unopposed as a Republican, this fall.
