GOP incumbent Sen. Adrienne Southworth loses District 7 seat in 2024 primary election
The incumbent for the Kentucky state Senate District 7 seat, Adrienne Southworth, will not move forward to the November election as her party’s nominee — but the Republican primary winner is too close to call as of late Tuesday night.
Aaron Reed, a Republican from Shelbyville, had a lead over Ed Gallrein, also a Republican from Shelbyville, by just over 100 votes around 11 p.m., according to unofficial election results.
Southworth has held the seat since 2021.
The winner of the Republican primary will face Rhonda Davis, a Democrat from Lawrenceburg, in the November elections.
Reed is a former Navy SEAL who founded a gun store in Shelby County.
Gallrein is also a former Navy SEAL, and his family runs a popular destination farm in Shelby County, the most populous county in District 7.
They were separated by one percentage point on Tuesday night.
As of 11 p.m., Reed had received 39% of the votes, Gallrein had 38% and Southworth 22%, according to unofficial election results.
Senate District 7 has been redrawn since the last election, and now is made up of Anderson, Henry and Shelby counties, and part of Jefferson county. Reed had formerly thrown his hat — he’s known for donning a cowboy hat — in the ring for another Senate seat in the 2022 cycle before being drawn out of it.
The Shelby County native had the backing of many “Liberty” Republicans in the state, whose views are generally further right than the mainstream party on issues like gun control and the role of government.
Americans for Prosperity, a libertarian Republican group affiliated with the Koch Brothers, spent more than $70,000 to back Reed in the crowded race.
During her time in the Senate, Southworth has occasionally voted against her own caucus, leading to some conflict between her and Senate Republican leadership.
She’s also drawn criticism for engaging in conspiracy theories about elections in her first year as senator, including using misinformation about using voting machines.