2006 United States House of Representatives elections in Kentucky

The 2006 House elections in Kentucky occurred on November 7, 2006 to elect the members of the State of Kentucky's delegation to the United States House of Representatives. Kentucky had six seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States Census.

2006 United States House of Representatives elections in Kentucky

November 7, 2006

All 6 Kentucky seats to the United States House of Representatives
  Majority party Minority party
 
Party Republican Democratic
Last election 5 1
Seats won 4 2
Seat change 1 1
Popular vote 611,780 601,723
Percentage 48.80% 48.00%
Swing 13.42% 11.18%

These elections occurred simultaneously with the United States Senate elections of 2006, the United States House elections in other states, and various state and local elections.

Overview

United States House of Representatives elections in Kentucky, 2006[1]
Party Votes Percentage Seats +/–
Republican 611,780 48.80% 4 -1
Democratic 601,723 48.00% 2 +1
Libertarian 39,249 3.13% 0 -
Constitution 774 0.06% 0 -
Totals 1,253,526 100.00% 6

District 1

Incumbent Republican Congressman Ed Whitfield faced off against former Congressman Thomas Barlow, the Democratic nominee, winning by a solid margin, but less than he is used to in this west Kentucky-based district.

Kentucky's 1st congressional district election, 2006)
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ed Whitfield (incumbent) 123,618 59.58
Democratic Tom Barlow 83,865 40.42
Total votes 207,483 100.00
Republican hold

District 2

Incumbent Ron Lewis (R) was sought a sixth term in this conservative, west-central Kentucky district. Lewis has had no trouble winning reelection after succeeding longtime Democrat William Natcher. His special election victory turned out to be the first sign of the Republican wave later that year. But when first elected, he had promised to serve only six full terms. He was challenged by state Representative Mike Weaver, whose background in business and War Veteran of both Korea and Vietnam made it hard to portray him as a liberal. However, Weaver had trouble raising money. Ultimately, Weaver was unable to capitalize on the Democratic wave sweeping the country, and lost to Lewis.

Kentucky's 2nd congressional district election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ron Lewis (incumbent) 118,548 55.41
Democratic Mike Weaver 95,415 44.59
Total votes 213,963 100.00
Republican hold

District 3

Incumbent Anne Northup (R) had been a target for the Democrats since her election in 1996; in 2004 and 2000, John Kerry and Al Gore both won her Louisville-centered congressional district by two percent, and Bill Clinton won the district by double-digit margins during the 1990s. While Northup had generally run close races, she won 60% of the vote in the 2004 election. Redistricting after the 2000 census added a few more suburban Republicans to the district, according to Congressional Quarterly. The Democratic candidate was John Yarmuth, the founder of local free publication LEO. In spite of Northup's electoral success, excellent constituent services, and popularity among blue-collar voters in southern Louisville, Democrats saw this race as winnable, calling attention to Northup's 91% lockstep voting record with an unpopular President Bush. Northup led in most polls until October, when Yarmuth began to gain. By election night, the race had become highly competitive. House Majority Leader John Boehner referred to Northup as the Republicans' "canary in the coal mine", meaning that her fortunes would portend the outcome of House elections nationwide. This proved to be a correct assessment, as on election night, Yarmuth defeated Northup and Republicans lost control of the House.

Kentucky's 3rd congressional district election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John Yarmuth 122,489 50.62
Republican Anne Northup (incumbent) 116,568 48.18
Libertarian Donna Walker Mancini 2,134 0.88
Constitution W. Ed Parker 774 0.32
Total votes 241,965 100.00
Democratic gain from Republican

District 4

First-term incumbent Geoff Davis (R) was being challenged by retired U.S. Air Force Major Ken Lucas (D), who held the seat from 1999 to 2005. Lucas defeated Davis 51% to 48% in 2002, and retired in 2004, adhering to a pledge of serving only three consecutive terms in the House. Lucas was among the most conservative Democrats in Congress and remains well known in the district, which includes most of Kentucky's share of the Cincinnati metropolitan area. Brian Houillion (L) entered the race on June 19. In late July The Washington Post also rated the race as a toss-up.[2] However, Davis is an aggressive campaigner who had spent much time in the district, which ultimately paid off, as Davis defeated Lucas by a surprisingly wide margin.

Kentucky's 4th congressional district election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Geoff Davis (incumbent) 105,845 51.69
Democratic Ken Lucas 88,822 43.38
Libertarian Brian Houillion 10,100 4.93
Total votes 204,767 100.00
Republican hold

District 5

Incumbent Republican Congressman Hal Rogers faced off against Democratic nominee Kenneth Stepp, who was not a serious contender for the seat considering this east Kentucky district's strong conservative tendencies.

Kentucky's 5th congressional district election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Hal Rogers (incumbent) 147,201 73.76
Democratic Kenneth Stepp 52,367 26.24
Total votes 199,568 100.00
Republican hold

District 6

Opposed by only Libertarian candidate Paul Ard, incumbent Democratic Congressman Ben Chandler faced no serious obstacle in his bid for a third term.

Kentucky's 6th congressional district election, 2006)
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ben Chandler (incumbent) 158,765 85.46
Libertarian Paul Ard 27,015 14.54
Total votes 185,780 100.00
Democratic hold

References

Preceded by
2004 elections
United States House elections in Kentucky
2006
Succeeded by
2008 elections
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