2026 in Kentucky

The following is a list of events of the year 2026 in Kentucky.

←

2026
in
Kentucky

→

Decades:

2026 in the United States
2026 in U.S. states and territories
States
Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
Territories
American Samoa Guam Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico United States Virgin Islands
Washington, D.C.
List of years in the United States by state or territory

Incumbents

State Government

Governor: Andy Beshear (D)

Events

January 1 – A Wolfe County woman is charged with fetal homicide for allegedly inducing her own abortion using abortion pills.^[1]
April 30 – A bank robber kills two employees of a U.S. Bank in Berea. An 18-year-old man is arrested.^[2]
May 2 – The 2026 Kentucky Derby, the 152nd Kentucky Derby, takes place at the Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville. Golden Tempo wins the race; his trainer Cherie DeVaux is the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby.^[3]^[4]
May 11 – the Kentucky's 4th congressional district republican primary (between Thomas Massie and Ed Gallrein) becomes the most expensive U.S. House primary in American history, with over $25.6 million in ad spending beating the prior record of $25.2 million from the Democratic Primary for New York's 16th congressional district in 2024.^[5] By May 17, ad spending exceeded $32 million, with pro-Israel interest groups accounting for over $9 million of the spending against Massie.^[6]
May 18 – The Lexington Fire Department reports that a house on Needlerush Drive in Lexington was damaged by a fire, displacing five people including a neighbor.^[7]^[8]^[9]
May 19 – Kentucky's 4th congressional district republican primary, Thomas Massie loses to Ed Gallrein.^[10]
June 13 – The Louisville Kings beat the DC Defenders 27–20 to win the 2026 United Bowl in the Kings' first season.^[11]
June 27 – Four people are killed by heavy flooding in Madison and Jackson Counties.^[12]

Scheduled events

August 20 - Kentucky State Fair is scheduled to take place.^[13]

References

Sherman, Carter (January 2, 2026). "US woman charged with fetal homicide after allegedly inducing own abortion". The Guardian. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
Lovan, Dylan (May 1, 2026). "Kentucky man charged in deadly bank robbery after high-speed chase". The Associated Press. Retrieved May 1, 2026.
Li, David K. (May 2, 2026). "Kentucky Derby 2026 live updates: Golden Tempo wins 152nd running with trainer Cherie Devaux". NBC News. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
Olivia Evans; Matthew Glowicki (July 24, 2025). "Kentucky Oaks moves to prime time on NBC in 2026. Here's what to know". Retrieved October 11, 2025.
Solender, Andrew (May 11, 2026). "Inside the wild $25 million fight to oust top GOP Trump critic Thomas Massie". Axios. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
Kashinsky, Lisa (May 17, 2026). "Massie's primary is the most expensive in history. Pro-Israel groups have played a huge part". Politico.
https://www.kentucky.com/news/local/article315794800.html
https://www.wkyt.com/2026/05/18/five-displaced-following-lexington-house-fire/
https://fox56news.com/news/local/lexington/5-displaced-including-neighbor-following-lexington-house-fire/
Bedayn, Jesse; Lovan, Dylan (May 19, 2026). "US Rep. Thomas Massie loses Kentucky GOP primary to Ed Gallrein in another victory for Trump". The Associated Press. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
Florio, Mike (June 13, 2026). "Louisville Kings cap first UFL season with championship". NBC Sports. Retrieved June 13, 2026.
"4 dead amid flooding caused by heavy rains, Kentucky governor says". The Associated Press. June 27, 2026. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
Powell, Curadhan (August 26, 2025). "Kentucky State Fair announces 2026 theme, celebrating America's 250th birthday". Retrieved October 11, 2025.

Incumbents

State Government

Events

Scheduled events

See also

References