Lexington Democrats stick with Anne Gay Donworth in Ky House District 76 race
Democratic voters in Lexington stayed with state Rep. Anne Gay Donworth on Tuesday, sending her to the Nov. 3 general election instead of primary challenger Jamie Palumbo.
At stake is the seat representing Kentucky House District 76. The district includes part of downtown Lexington and the Bell Court, Kenwick, Fairway, Idle Hour and Chevy Chase neighborhoods, plus a large crescent around the city’s eastside, stretching out to Hamburg.
Republican candidate Avram Hicks did not have a primary opponent on Tuesday. The district is considered safely Democratic based on voter registration and past election results.
Donworth, 43, is finishing her first term in the General Assembly.
Many of the issues Donworth promoted in her reelection campaign — including public education, women’s rights and healthcare — were also the subjects of bills she has tried to pass in the House. However, the House and Senate are controlled by Republican super-majorities that seldom act on Democratic proposals.
In a recent interview, Donworth said too many political districts are gerrymandered, drawn to benefit the political party in power, which leaves many Kentuckians without a voice in Frankfort.
“Most of those districts — you know, voter registration data shows that 41% of Kentucky is Democratic. And yet the House is an 80/20 split in favor of Republicans. So that’s not based on how the people are voting. It has to do with how the maps are drawn,” she said.
Palumbo, 47, is the son of former state Rep. Ruth Ann Palumbo, a Democrat who held the House District 76 seat for 34 years and rose to become the longtime chairwoman of the House Economic Development Committee.
When Ruth Ann Palumbo retired in 2024, Donworth defeated Jamie Palumbo in that year’s Democratic primary to succeed her.
