Central KY congressional candidate drops out, will run for state representative
State Rep. Deanna Gordon, R-Richmond, is ending her run for Congress, she announced Monday morning.
Gordon launched her campaign for the 6th Congressional District seat in July, saying she’d align closely with the priorities of President Donald Trump.
In a press release Monday, first shared with Kentucky Politics Weekly, a podcast and television show, Gordon said that she will file for reelection to her state House District 81 seat in Madison County.
Gordon was running to fill the seat of Rep. Andy Barr, who is running for U.S. Senate in 2026.
The GOP field is now down to three candidates running professional campaigns: former state Sen. Ralph Alvarado; state Rep. Ryan Dotson, R-Winchester; and Nicholasville pharmaceutical entrepreneur Greg Plucinski.
In a press release, Gordon wrote that her work in Frankfort “isn’t finished.”
“When I entered the congressional race, it was because I believe strongly in fighting for Kentucky values and helping move our country forward,” Gordon said. “But over the past several weeks, it has become clear to me that my work in Frankfort isn’t finished.
“My district, and our Commonwealth, are facing critical challenges, and while I won’t be in the fight for the 6th District Congressional seat, I’ll be in the fight for the 81st District in Madison County and for Kentucky.”
Several Democrats have also filed for the seat. National Democrats believe the district could be flipped, especially if anti-Trump sentiment is high.
Democratic candidates include former federal prosecutor Zach Dembo, former Lexington city councilman David Kloiber, businesswoman Erin Petrey and former state Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson are all running for the seat.
GOP candidates respond
Plucinski wrote in a statement that he was appreciative of Gordon and supports her work in the House.
“Deanna Gordon is an America First Patriot and I appreciate her service to Kentucky. I’m impressed with her dedication to our state, and I’m 100% behind her efforts to stand up to Andy Beshear on behalf of Kentucky families,” Plucinski wrote in a statement provided by his campaign.
Alvarado wrote something similar in a statement.
“I have long valued her friendship and hold deep respect for her service in Frankfort. I am certain she will continue to excel in all she undertakes, and I look forward to collaborating with her as we advance central Kentucky together,” Alvarado wrote.
Dotson commended Gordon and said her departure makes the race “an even clearer referendum on the kind of leadership our party wants” in his statement.
“This is no time for fragile politicians looking to coast into office on name ID, personal wealth, or self-serving ambition. Voters know the difference between a fighter and a placeholder, between someone running to serve and someone running to climb. Our country can’t be saved with a weak voice, a checkbook, or a campaign built in a mirror,” Dotson wrote.
“This campaign is about sending someone to Washington who won’t sell out, won’t back down, and won’t put their own ambition ahead of the people they represent — and that is exactly what I intend to do,” he added.
In her roughly five months of campaigning, Gordon showed an ability to self-fund at scale. In the campaign’s first fundraising quarter, she loaned $268,000 of a total $358,000 raised. Much of her fundraising from others came from the Richmond area.
In that reporting period, Gordon and Dotson were both largely powered by personal loans whereas Alvarado raised money from others.
Gordon highlighted her alignment with Trump in campaign materials. On the trail, she emphasized her background as a Christian and her business acumen as an owner of an audiology clinic in Richmond.
She was also unafraid to throw a punch, at an October forum blaming Alvarado’s 2019 lieutenant governor candidacy alongside former governor Matt Bevin for Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s political career.
This story was originally published December 8, 2025 at 12:07 PM.
