The Winner

If you live in Kentucky's 3rd U.S. House District, you will continue to be represented in Congress by Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-KY), who has been declared the winner of the congressional race, according to the Associated Press. ​

According to unofficial results from the Kentucky State Board of Elections as of Nov. 5, McGarvey received 174,781 votes, or approximately 70.3%, defeating Republican Maria Teresa Rodriguez, who received 73,719 votes, or 29.7%. McGarvey led Rodriguez by 101,062 votes, or approximately 40.7 percentage points. The results have not yet been certified.

McGarvey's victory secures his third term representing the Louisville-area district and keeps Kentucky's only Democratic-held U.S. House seat in Democratic hands as his party regains control of the chamber. The Democratic takeover will put McGarvey in the House majority for the first time since he entered Congress in January 2023, giving his party control over committee leadership, the legislative agenda and congressional oversight of President Donald Trump's administration.

The Race

Maria Rodriguez reached the general election ballot by winning the Republican primary on May 19, receiving 15,855 votes, or 48.2%, in a four-candidate field that cast 32,868 total votes. David Nichter finished second with 6,807 votes, or 20.7%, followed by Daniel Cobble with 5,893 votes, or 17.9%, and Donald Pay with 4,313 votes, or 13.1%. McGarvey advanced to the general election without opposition in the Democratic primary. Cook Political Report rated the seat Solid Democratic, a rating Inside Elections also gave, while Sabato's Crystal Ball rated it Safe Democratic.

The district lies entirely within Jefferson County and includes most of Louisville, along with communities such as Jeffersontown, St. Matthews and Shively, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It has a total population of approximately 748,500, a median household income of about $68,000, and a median age of 38. About 36% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, roughly 21% of residents are Black, and approximately 8.8% are Hispanic. The unemployment rate is about 5.3%, and about 14.8% of residents live below the poverty line, according to geographic data for the district.

What's Next

McGarvey's third term begins Jan. 3, 2027, under the 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. With Democrats taking control of the House, McGarvey will serve in the majority as his party assumes committee leadership and gains greater authority over the chamber's legislative agenda and oversight of the Trump administration.

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