Ever since he narrowly unseated Democratic incumbent Ben Chandler in 2012, Kentucky GOP Rep. Andy Barr has won re-election without much trouble in his Lexington-area seat. The 6th District backed Romney 56-42 and Trump 55-39, so it’s far from the most competitive seat in America. Still, 2015 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jack Conway won the 6th 49-46 while he was losing statewide 53-44, and Lexington Mayor Jim Gray carried it 52-48 while he was losing his 2016 Senate bid to GOP incumbent Rand Paul 57-43, so it may be gettable in a good Democratic year.
State Democrats have a few prospective candidates in mind to go up against Barr. According to state party chair Sannie Overly, Marine Lt. Col. Amy McGrath is considering. All McGrath would say is that, until she retires from active duty on June 1, she can’t comment. McGrath is a former fighter pilot who flew 85 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and she is finishing a stint as a U.S. Naval Academy instructor. McGrath also worked as a foreign policy advisor to California Democratic Rep. Susan Davis, who spoke well of her to CNHI news.
There are a few other local Democrats who could get in. State Rep. James Kay told the Lexington Herald-Leader that he’s “not ruling it out, but I wouldn’t say I’m considering it at this point.” Just after Election Day, Gray did not rule out a House bid, though he hasn’t said anything since then. The Herald-Leader also mentions Kentucky Sports Radio founder Matt Jones, who flirted with a 2016 bid but passed, and ex-state Rep. Leslie Combs, but neither has expressed any public interest. Overly, who is herself a state representative, could also run, though it sounds like she’s looking for other candidates. A party spokesman told the paper that Overly has not expressed interest, which isn’t quite a no.