Eastern Kentucky’s lone Democrat in Frankfort is leaving. Who will replace her?
The last Democrat representing Eastern Kentucky in the state legislature is leaving her post.
Rep. Ashley Tackett Laferty, D-Martin, is not seeking reelection in 2026, she announced in a post to Facebook Thursday, Jan. 1.
She will instead run for Floyd District Judge.
Laferty said in the post she made the decision in concert with her family, highlighting the fact it will allow her to stay in her native Floyd County.
“For nearly 8 years, I have been making the drive to Frankfort, almost daily. When folks ask me why I have chosen to commute all this time, my answer is very simple, ‘It is my duty to represent you in Frankfort, and my 3 kids still need their mama at home,’” she wrote. “It is this tremendous sense of commitment to my young and growing family, my community in Floyd County, and the future of Eastern Kentucky, that has motivated me to stay home and serve you locally.”
Former Democratic state Sen. Johnny Ray Turner is signing up to take her stead in an open general election. Turner has two GOP opponents, former television anchor Tanner Hesterberg and Willie Crase, a pastor and former candidate for judge-executive in Floyd County.
The filing deadline to run for office in Kentucky is Jan. 9.
Laferty’s district covers all of the ancestral Democrat-heavy Floyd County and a small but populous section of Pike County, including downtown Pikeville.
After Sen. Robin Webb, R-Grayson, changed her registration last year, Laferty became the lone Democrat from Eastern Kentucky, which was until recently a stronghold for Kentucky Democrats.
In 2018, Laferty reclaimed a seat that was long held by Democrats. Riding a wave of rural Kentucky victories spurred by the initial candidacy of President Donald Trump in 2016, GOP candidate Larry Brown defeated former House Speaker Greg Stumbo. Laferty won the seat by 15 points in the 2018 midterm year.
Laferty was known in the House for her moderate votes on social issues, reflecting her more conservative voter base. She was one of few Democrats who often passed bills in the GOP-dominated chamber where Republicans outnumber Democrats 80 to 20.
In her post to social media, Laferty focused on helping secure funding for public needs like schools and roads, as well as “upholding our mountain values.”
There are two divisions of Floyd District Court. Incumbent judges Jimmy “Blue” Marcum and Tyler Green are running for reelection in both divisions, according to the Secretary of State’s office.
Stumbo told the Herald-Leader he thinks Turner will win Laferty’s seat, in part because Trump, who won Floyd County by 59 points in 2024, isn’t on the ballot in 2026. He also said Turner’s 20-year service in Frankfort would be an asset.
Turner was in the state Senate representing an Eastern Kentucky district before getting knocked off in 2020 by the similarly-named Republican candidate Johnnie L. Turner, who died in 2024 after a lawnmower accident. In that election, Johnny Ray Turner won Floyd County by 25 points.
Turner told the Herald-Leader he thinks his record of service will lift him over the GOP candidate.
“I was always available if somebody needed to touch base by email, phone calls or office. I want to continue to do that and be available for people to get in touch with me if they have issues, and I’ll work with them to help,” Turner said.
Though neither have held elected office, both Hesterberg and Crase have appeared on Floyd Countians’ ballots before. The pair were both candidates for the hastily run write-in election to replace Johnnie L. Turner. Sen. Scott Madon, R-Pineville, won that election after the endorsement of key Republicans and Turner’s family.
