Kentucky Senate debate schedule taking shape with up to 7 GOP events planned
With three months to go until the May 19 primaries, the debate circuit for candidates for U.S. Senate is starting to take shape.
Debates will be hosted by local parties, news stations and Kentucky Educational Television.
Many of the dates and hosting organizations were released in a statement from the campaign of former Attorney General Daniel Cameron on Wednesday. Cameron is one of three leading candidates in the race to replace Sen. Mitch McConnell, who is not seeking reelection this year.
Though Cameron led in the early polling of the race, Lexington tech entrepreneur Nate Morris and U.S. Rep. Andy Barr have massive cash advantages over him; Morris’ polling numbers have risen from mid-single digits to within striking distance of the others in recent months.
The GOP debates range from March to May. Here’s a rundown of all the known debates:
- March 16: Jefferson County Republican Party / WDRB Debate
- April 7: WHAS11 and the Courier-Journal
- April 20: Kentucky Tonight hosted by KET
- April 28: Republican U.S. Senate Debate hosted by Nexstar Media Group / FOX56
- May 4: Kentucky’s Voice Debate
- (Exact Date TBD): Republican Primary Debate for U.S. Senate hosted by Spectrum News 1 Louisville
- (Exact Date TBD): Political Forum hosted by the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce
In a release listing off the debates, Cameron said he had “agreed in principle” to all but the WHAS11/Courier-Journal debate. When asked about that event, Cameron campaign manager Nathanael Hirt wrote that they’re “reviewing other requests as they are received.”
Cameron was the first to release a statement on the debates.
“Kentuckians deserve every opportunity to hear from us. I welcome a thoughtful discussion about the future of our Commonwealth,” Cameron said.
Morris and Barr have yet to fully commit to all the debates, but spokespeople for both campaigns spoke about attending debates in the lead-up to the election.
Alex Bellizzi, a spokesperson for Barr’s campaign, added that they believe “every Republican candidate on the ballot” should be on the debate stage.
“We look forward to the WDRB debate on March 16, which we agreed to last year, and are actively in the process of scheduling others. Every Republican candidate on the ballot for US Senate should be included in these future debates to have the opportunity to share their message directly with Kentuckians,” Bellizzi said.
A spokesperson for Morris said that campaign was committed to the March 16 debate and was working to find a date that works for everyone for Spectrum’s debate and the April 16 FOX56 debate.
Michael Faris of Elizabethtown, a fourth candidate who is running a vigorous campaign but lacks the funding or name ID of the other three, told the Herald-Leader he had been invited to the April 7 debate hosted by WHAS11 and the Courier-Journal and plans to attend.
Democratic debates
The debate schedule for Democratic candidates for Senate in Kentucky is less clear .
Campaigns are currently dealing with several requests from television stations and interest groups. KET has already announced it will host its Democratic Senate debate on April 20, immediately following its Republican candidate debate.
The campaign trail includes two former Senate nominees in Charles Booker and Amy McGrath, state House Minority Floor Leader Pam Stevenson, D-Louisville; and first-time candidates like Louisville horse trainer Dale Romans and Lexington attorney Logan Forsythe.
The most recent independent poll of the race showed Booker in the lead, with 30% to McGrath’s 19%. Stevenson logged 4% and more than 43% of voters said they were undecided.
Editor’s Note: An initial version of this story stated that the Nexstar Media Group / FOX56 debate would take place April 16. It has since been moved to April 28.
This story was originally published February 18, 2026 at 1:40 PM.
