The 2002 United States Senate election in Kentucky was held on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell won re-election to a fourth term. This election was McConnell's biggest margin of victory to date. It is the only election in which he won Franklin County, and the most recent in which he won urban Jefferson and Fayette counties. The latter two were the only Kentucky counties won by either Hillary Clinton in 2016 or Joe Biden in 2020, signifying their leftward drift.
Republican primary Candidates Mitch McConnell, incumbent U.S. Senator
Results McConnell was unopposed.
Democratic primary Candidates Lois Combs Weinberg, Vice Chair of the Council on Postsecondary Education in Kentucky Tom Barlow, former U.S. Representative from Paducah (199395)
Results
General election Candidates Mitch McConnell (R), incumbent U.S. Senator Lois Combs Weinberg (D), Vice Chair of the Council on Postsecondary Education in Kentucky
Predictions SourceRankingAs ofSabato's Crystal Ball November 4, 2002
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin MitchMcConnell (R) LoisWeinberg (D) Other /UndecidedSurveyUSASurveyUSA October 28–30, 2002 705 (LV) ± 3.8% 66% 29% 4%
Results
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Magoffin (Largest city: Salyersville) Webster (Largest city: Providence) Morgan (Largest city: West Liberty) Henderson (Largest city: Henderson) Letcher (Largest city: Jenkins) Muhlenberg (Largest city: Central City) Fulton (Largest city: Fulton) Bath (Largest city: Owingsville) Marion (Largest city: Lebanon) Menifee (Largest city: Frenchburg) Rowan (Largest city: Morehead) Jefferson (Largest city: Louisville) Carlisle (Largest city: Bardwell) Livingston (Largest city: Salem) Hopkins (Largest city: Madisonville) Marshall (Largest city: Benton) Graves (Largest city: Mayfield) Hickman (Largest city: Clinton) Lyon (Largest city: Eddyville) Montgomery (Largest city: Mount Sterling) Union (Largest city: Morganfield) Perry (Largest city: Hazard) Ballard (Largest city: LaCenter) Boyd (Largest city: Ashland) Harlan (Largest city: Cumberland)
See also 2002 United States Senate election
Notes
References