By AP
HENDERSON – Democrats have held onto an open state senate seat in Western kentucky. Democrat Dorsey Ridley of Henderson got 59% of the vote in a special election Tuesday against Republican David Thomason.
Ridley will replace Paul Herron, a Democrat who died last month. Ridley fills the 2 1/2 years remaining in Herron's term.
Thomason ran with the backing of Senator Mitch McConnell and Governor Fletcher. He switched to the Republican party the same day Fletcher ordered the special election. Ridley made that a major campaign issue
Voter turnout was 29% in the six county 4th senate district. That's about triple the district's turnout for the May primary.