Democrat Gary Clemons, a South Louisville union leader and U.S. Army veteran, scored a decisive victory Tuesday in Kentucky’s vacant Senate District 37 seat, winning by roughly 47.5 points with 72.6 percent of the vote compared with Republican Calvin Leach’s 25.1 percent, according to unofficial results from Jefferson County.
“State Democrats are overperforming and winning special elections across every part of the country,” said Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, in a statement shared with Newsweek. “Momentum is on our side as voters turn away from MAGA Republicans and back state Democrats who are fighting to lower costs.”
Newsweek reached out to a spokesperson for the Republican Party of Kentucky for comment outside normal business hours.
The south-end Louisville district has long leaned Democratic, but Clemons’ margin went far beyond recent comparisons. Democrat David Yates defeated Leach by about 20 points in 2024, and former Vice President Kamala Harris carried the district by roughly 6 points in that year’s presidential race. Turnout for Tuesday’s special election was about 7 percent, with just over 5,000 ballots cast, underscoring how low-participation December contests can lead to dramatic swings.
The seat had remained open since Yates was appointed interim Jefferson County clerk earlier this year.
Clemons, who serves as president of United Steelworkers Local 1693, ran a campaign focused on strengthening support for working families, reducing everyday costs, creating jobs, and advocating for blue-collar workers in the state legislature.
“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 said in a statement to Newsweek.
He said working families deserve representation in Frankfort, adding that his South End background, service in the Army Reserve, and nearly 20 years in union leadership have informed his dedication to public service, particularly on behalf of veterans and working-class communities.
According to state Democratic officials, Clemons will be sworn in on January 6, the opening day of Kentucky’s 2026 legislative session in Frankfort, along with other newly elected lawmakers.
The victory keeps the district in Democratic control in a chamber otherwise dominated by Republicans, adding a labor-focused voice just weeks before legislators convene for the 2026 budget session.
Over the past year, Democrats have consistently exceeded expectations in special elections. In Virginia, Democrat James Walkinshaw captured a state House seat by about 50 points, far surpassing Kamala Harris’ 2024 margin. In Rhode Island, Democrat Stefano Famiglietti won a state Senate race by 67 points, outperforming Harris’ previous showing by more than 50 points.
Democrats have also posted stronger-than-expected results in traditionally Republican areas, even when not winning outright. In Tennessee’s heavily Republican 7th Congressional District, Democratic state Representative Aftyn Behn lost a December 2025 special election by about nine points, a much narrower gap than President Donald Trump’s roughly 22-point victory there in 2024.
Democratic Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear wrote on X: “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…I was proud to campaign for Gary and know he will be a strong voice for working families in the state Senate!”
DLCC President Heather Williams said: “We must keep up this enthusiasm as we tackle our next special elections just weeks away, where majorities in our most competitive chambers are on the line.”
Zachary Donnini, head of data science at Vote Hub, wrote in a post on X: “The new reality of consistent Democratic overperformances in recent special elections, combined with the GOP’s push for mid-decade redistricting, is likely to create real tension for Republican incumbents through the rest of the 2020s.”
Looking ahead, a series of special elections over the next six weeks will further test party momentum in key state legislative districts. Democrats are defending a seat in Iowa’s Senate District 16 on December 30 as they try to prevent a GOP supermajority, while South Carolina will hold three special elections on December 23 in Republican-leaning districts.
Early January will bring contests in Virginia, including a Richmond-area Senate race on January 6, followed by Georgia’s Senate District 18 on January 20, a traditionally Republican seat where Democrats aim to cut into GOP margins. Minnesota will close out the month with two House special elections on January 27, offering Democrats an opportunity to restore parity in the state House.
