The Winner
If you live in Kentucky's 5th U.S. House District, you will continue to be represented in Congress by Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY), who has been declared the winner of the 2026 congressional race, according to the Associated Press. The seat stays in Republican hands.
Rogers, of Somerset, Kentucky, took roughly 71.1% of the vote, or about 139,808 votes, according to official results as of Nov. 11. Democrat Ned Pillersdorf took about 25.3%, or about 49,805 votes, leaving Rogers ahead by about 46 points. The winner rests on the call, and the vote figures are unofficial and may change until the state certifies them.
The Race
Pillersdorf reached the general election ballot as the Democratic nominee, the only candidate in his party's primary scheduled for May 19. Cook Political Report rated the seat Solid Republican, Inside Elections also rated it Solid Republican, and Sabato's Crystal Ball rated it Safe Republican.
Two independents also ran: Mikel Wein took about 2.1% of the vote and Gerardo Serrano about 1.4%.
The district has about 742,700 residents, a median household income of about $45,800 and a median age of about 41, according to Geographies data for the district. About 16.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
The population is about 94.2% white, 1.6% Hispanic, 1.5% Black, and 0.4% Asian, with an unemployment rate of about 5.9% and about 24.8% of residents living below the poverty line.
The district covers part of Boyd County and counties in southeastern Kentucky, including Bell, Breathitt, Carter, Clay and Elliott, according to Ballotpedia.
What's Next
Rogers is set to take office on Jan. 3, 2027, under the 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. A House Appropriations Committee report that Rogers submitted on May 15 rejects rescinding funding for a new federal correctional institute in Letcher County, Kentucky, according to Congress.gov, House Report 119-652.
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