Early voting is underway for a special state Senate election in southwest Louisville ahead of Election Day. Find out more about each candidate.

This was, for the most part, an off-year for Kentucky elections. But in Louisville’s South End, voters have the chance to fill a recent vacancy in the state Senate just before the start of the 2026 General Assembly, in which lawmakers will craft the state’s next two-year budget.

David Yates, who vacated the seat earlier this year to serve as Jefferson County Clerk, was elected to the seat as a Democrat in 2020. He beat his Republican opponent, U.S. Army veteran Calvin Leach, by 20 percentage points in 2024; Leach is once again running for the seat.

Meanwhile, Democrats selected local union leader Gary Clemons, also an Army veteran, as their nominee. One third-party candidate is also vying for the spot; Wendy Higdon, a surgical technologist, is the Libertarian Party’s nominee.

Early, no-excuse, in-person voting is already underway. People within the district can vote early through Saturday or on Election Day, Dec. 16. For more information on voting locations, click here. Ballot drop boxes will also be available at voting locations and at the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office Election Center.

The district has about 75,300 eligible voters as of November, according to the State Board of Elections, with about 57% registered as Democrats and 30% as Republicans.

Gary Clemons — Democratic nominee

The Louisville Democratic Party selected Gary Clemons as its nominee. Clemons is a U.S. Army veteran and president of United Steelworkers Local 1693. He is a lifelong south Louisville resident who has worked at American Synthetic Rubber Company in Rubbertown since 1996.

“I’ve spent my life working alongside the people who keep Louisville running — in factories, in unions, and in neighborhoods,” Clemons said. “Working families deserve a voice in Frankfort that understands their struggles and will fight for their future.”

Clemons says he wants to expand health care access in the district and ensure more services and support for veterans. Clemons says he would bring his experience as a labor leader to Frankfort and wants to bring more high-paying jobs to his district.

Kentucky’s state Senate has a special election in Louisville on Tuesday. Here are the facts