# 1992 United States Senate election in Kentucky

Elections in Kentucky :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1792
1793
1794
1798
1800
1804
1805 sp
1806
1806 sp
1811
1813
1814 sp
1815 sp
1816
1816 sp
1818
1819 sp
1820 sp
1823
1824 sp
1829
1831 sp
1835
1836
1841
1842
1842 sp
1843
1848
1849
1849 sp
1851
1851 sp
1854
1858
1859
1861 sp
1865
1867
1868 sp
1871
1872
1873 sp
1876
1879
1882
1884
1888
1890
1890 sp
1893 sp
1894
1897
1900
1902
1906
1908
1912
1914
1914 sp
1918
1920
1924
1926
1930
1930 sp
1932
1936
1938
1940 sp
1942
1944
1946 sp
1948
1950
1950 sp
1952 sp
1954
1956
1956 sp
1960
1962
1966
1968
1972
1974
1978
1980
1984
1986
1990
1992
1996
1998
2002
2004
2008
2010
2014
2016
2020
2022
2026
2028
U.S. House of Representatives elections
1792
1793
1795
1797
1799
1801
1803
1804
1806
1808
1810
5th sp
1812
1813
8th sp
1814
2nd sp
1815
2nd sp
1816
1st sp
1818
1820
1821
8th sp
1822
1824
1825
3rd sp
1826
5th sp
12th sp
1827
11th sp
1828
2nd sp
1829
1831
1833
1834
5th sp
1835
1837
1839
1841
1843
1845
1847
1849
1851
1853
1854
3rd sp
1855
1857
1859
1861
1862
2nd sp
1863
1865
1866
3rd sp
5th sp
6th sp
1867
3rd sp
1868
1870
3rd sp
1872
1874
1876
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
6th sp
1892
1894
9th sp
10th sp
1896
1898
1899
7th sp
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1923
7th sp
1924
9th sp
1925
3rd sp
1926
1928
1929
3rd sp
1930
2nd sp
1932
1934
1935
4th sp
1936
1937
2nd sp
1938
1940
1942
1943
4th sp
1944
1946
1948
2nd sp
9th sp
1950
1951
6th sp
1952
2nd sp
1953
2nd sp
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1971
6th sp
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
2nd sp
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
6th sp
2006
2008
2010
2012
4th sp
2014
2016
1st sp
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
State government
State elections
2007
2008
2010
2011
2012
2014
2015
2016
2018
2019
2020
2022
2023
2024
Gubernatorial elections
1792
1796
1800
1804
1808
1812
1816
1820
1824
1828
1832
1836
1840
1844
1848
1851
1855
1859
1863
1867
1868 sp
1871
1875
1879
1883
1887
1891
1895
1899
1900 sp
1903
1907
1911
1915
1919
1923
1927
1931
1935
1939
1943
1947
1951
1955
1959
1963
1967
1971
1975
1979
1983
1987
1991
1995
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
2027
Secretary of State elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
Attorney General elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
State Treasurer elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
State Auditor elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
Agriculture Commissioner elections
2007
2011
2015
2019
2023
Senate elections
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Special
House of Representatives elections
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Special
Supreme Court elections
2008
2010
2012
2014
2015 sp
2016
2018
2019 sp
2020
2022
2024 :
Ballot measures
2004Amendment 1
2022Amendment 2
2024Amendment 2 :
Lexington
Mayoral elections
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022 :
Louisville
Mayoral elections
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022 :
Government :
vte :
The 1992 United States Senate election in Kentucky took place on November 3, 1992. It was concurrent with elections to the United States House of Representatives. Incumbent Senator Wendell Ford won reelection to a fourth and final term. As of 2023, this was the last time Democrats won a U.S. Senate election in Kentucky.

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* Denny Ormerod, machinist
* Phillip Thompson, executive director of the Kentucky Republican Party
* David L. Williams, State Senator

### Campaign

Denny Ormerod, a machinist from Louisville dropped out before the primary election. Though Williams and Thompson represented opposing factions in the state Republican Party – Williams managed Larry Hopkins' 1991 primary campaign while Thompson worked full-time for Hopkins' primary opponent Larry Forgy – the two virtually ignored each other in the primary campaign, choosing instead to focus their rhetoric against Ford. Thompson did question Williams' conservative credentials on grounds that he voted in favor of the tax increase associated with the Kentucky Education Reform Act. Ormerod's campaign largely focused on socially conservative issues, but it was Williams who secured the endorsement of Kentucky Right to Life, who cited his lawsuit to free three anti-abortion bills from committee in the 1992 legislative session. As a result of the largely uninspiring primary campaigns, there was only an 18% voter turnout in the Republican primary. Williams won the nomination.

### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Republican | David Williams | 49,880 | 60.9% |
| Republican | Phillip Thompson | 25,026 | 30.5% |
| Republican | Denny Ormerod | 7,066 | 8.6% |

## General election
### Candidates

* Wendell Ford (D), incumbent U.S. Senator
* James Ridenour (L)
* David L. Williams (R), State Senator

### Campaign

Ford, the Senate Majority Whip and a former governor, raised $2.4 million for his campaign, about eight times the amount Williams raised. Given his limited finances, Williams relied on news conferences and interviews on small town radio stations to get his message out. Williams repeatedly lamented that Ford would not agree to a formal debate; Ford said that could not be arranged because Congress was still in session and he needed to be in Washington. During the campaign, Williams attempted to paint Ford as too liberal for Kentucky voters, citing his votes against the Gulf War and Clarence Thomas' confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. Both candidates declared their support for a Balanced Budget Amendment, but Williams said that Ford's support of pork barrel projects for the state and a procedural vote that kept the amendment from a vote in 1991 were evidence that Ford's support was not genuine.

### Results

Ford had no trouble winning on election night. Ford won easily, despite the fact that fellow Democrat Bill Clinton was not declared the winner of the presidential race in Kentucky until around 10:00 E.S.T. Ford pulled big margins out of the majority of Kentucky's 124 counties. This would be Ford's last term in the senate. He served his final term from January 3, 1993, to January 3, 1999. Ford died sixteen years after his retirement at the age of 90 in January 2015.
General election results :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | Wendell H. Ford (incumbent) | 836,888 | 62.88% |
| Republican | David L. Williams | 476,604 | 35.81% |
| Libertarian | James A. Ridenour | 17,366 | 1.30% |
| Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

#### By county

| County | Ford# | Ford% | Williams# | Williams% | Ridenour# | Ridenour% |
| Adair | 2,378 | 41.69% | 3,280 | 57.51% | 45 | 0.8% |
| Allen | 2,203 | 47.29% | 2,417 | 51.89% | 38 | 0.82% |
| Anderson | 3,543 | 61.42% | 2,145 | 37.19% | 80 | 1.39% |
| Ballard | 3,128 | 83.61% | 579 | 15.48% | 34 | 0.91% |
| Barren | 6,990 | 61.05% | 4,375 | 38.21% | 85 | 0.74% |
| Bath | 2,616 | 77.51% | 724 | 21.45% | 35 | 1.04% |
| Bell | 5,364 | 63.77% | 2,901 | 34.49% | 147 | 1.74% |
| Boone | 11,372 | 53.49% | 9,525 | 44.80% | 364 | 1.71% |
| Bourbon | 4,188 | 69.17% | 1,777 | 29.35% | 90 | 1.48% |
| Boyd | 13,256 | 67.92% | 6,076 | 31.13% | 184 | 0.95% |
| Boyle | 5,025 | 60.48% | 3,210 | 38.64% | 73 | 0.88% |
| Bracken | 1,740 | 72.90% | 609 | 25.51% | 38 | 1.59% |
| Breathitt | 3,910 | 80.24% | 931 | 19.10% | 32 | 0.66% |
| Breckinridge | 4,314 | 66.70% | 2,112 | 32.65% | 42 | 0.65% |
| Bullitt | 10,954 | 63.05% | 6,205 | 35.71% | 216 | 1.24% |
| Butler | 1,817 | 44.34% | 2,255 | 55.03% | 26 | 0.63% |
| Caldwell | 3,644 | 68.69% | 1,626 | 30.65% | 35 | 0.66% |
| Calloway | 7,452 | 64.06% | 4,058 | 34.89% | 122 | 1.05% |
| Campbell | 15,765 | 57.38% | 11,181 | 40.69% | 531 | 1.93% |
| Carlisle | 1,760 | 78.12% | 480 | 21.30% | 13 | 0.58% |
| Carroll | 2,449 | 77.28% | 664 | 20.95% | 56 | 1.77% |
| Carter | 4,973 | 64.95% | 2,628 | 34.32% | 56 | 0.73% |
| Casey | 1,832 | 41.02% | 2,581 | 57.79% | 53 | 1.19% |
| Christian | 7,982 | 55.71% | 6,210 | 43.34% | 136 | 0.95% |
| Clark | 6,106 | 63.24% | 3,442 | 35.65% | 107 | 1.11% |
| Clay | 2,250 | 40.81% | 3,210 | 58.23% | 53 | 0.96% |
| Clinton | 1,297 | 36.42% | 2,222 | 62.40% | 42 | 1.18% |
| Crittenden | 2,120 | 63.26% | 1,210 | 36.11% | 21 | 0.63% |
| Cumberland | 1,041 | 36.46% | 1,804 | 63.19% | 10 | 0.35% |
| Daviess | 22,194 | 67.16% | 10,374 | 31.39% | 478 | 1.45% |
| Edmonson | 1,782 | 45.86% | 2,082 | 53.57% | 22 | 0.57% |
| Elliott | 1,944 | 86.90% | 268 | 11.98% | 25 | 1.12% |
| Estill | 2,623 | 55.96% | 2,013 | 42.95% | 51 | 1.09% |
| Fayette | 45,941 | 56.29% | 34,047 | 41.72% | 1,621 | 1.99% |
| Fleming | 2,909 | 67.95% | 1,321 | 30.86% | 51 | 1.19% |
| Floyd | 13,138 | 84.67% | 2,223 | 14.33% | 155 | 1.00% |
| Franklin | 12,717 | 70.40% | 4,986 | 27.60% | 362 | 2.00% |
| Fulton | 1,999 | 75.60% | 616 | 23.30% | 29 | 1.10% |
| Gallatin | 1,419 | 75.16% | 432 | 22.88% | 37 | 1.96% |
| Garrard | 2,359 | 55.00% | 1,901 | 44.32% | 29 | 0.68% |
| Grant | 3,297 | 69.87% | 1,338 | 28.35% | 84 | 1.78% |
| Graves | 9,596 | 74.69% | 3,115 | 24.24% | 137 | 1.07% |
| Grayson | 3,753 | 49.81% | 3,694 | 49.02% | 88 | 1.17% |
| Green | 2,100 | 46.48% | 2,394 | 52.99% | 24 | 0.53% |
| Greenup | 8,691 | 67.36% | 4,096 | 31.74% | 116 | 0.90% |
| Hancock | 2,141 | 69.47% | 855 | 27.74% | 86 | 2.79% |
| Hardin | 14,858 | 62.15% | 8,728 | 36.51% | 321 | 1.34% |
| Harlan | 7,370 | 73.96% | 2,500 | 25.09% | 95 | 0.95% |
| Harrison | 4,084 | 71.53% | 1,567 | 27.44% | 59 | 1.03% |
| Hart | 3,351 | 65.35% | 1,744 | 34.01% | 33 | 0.64% |
| Henderson | 10,891 | 72.82% | 3,912 | 26.15% | 154 | 1.03% |
| Henry | 3,483 | 75.54% | 1,065 | 23.09% | 63 | 1.37% |
| Hickman | 1,808 | 77.33% | 493 | 21.09% | 37 | 1.58% |
| Hopkins | 11,672 | 73.07% | 4,127 | 25.84% | 174 | 1.09% |
| Jackson | 1,011 | 28.16% | 2,543 | 70.84% | 36 | 1.00% |
| Jefferson | 195,253 | 64.96% | 100,956 | 33.58% | 4,379 | 1.46% |
| Jessamine | 5,778 | 52.55% | 5,101 | 46.39% | 117 | 1.06% |
| Johnson | 4,672 | 63.05% | 2,650 | 35.76% | 88 | 1.19% |
| Kenton | 24,978 | 53.01% | 21,040 | 44.66% | 1,098 | 2.33% |
| Knott | 5,299 | 85.87% | 799 | 12.95% | 73 | 1.18% |
| Knox | 4,594 | 56.58% | 3,443 | 42.41% | 82 | 1.01% |
| LaRue | 3,006 | 67.37% | 1,412 | 31.64% | 44 | 0.99% |
| Laurel | 6,202 | 46.12% | 7,127 | 53.00% | 119 | 0.88% |
| Lawrence | 2,813 | 63.17% | 1,601 | 35.95% | 39 | 0.88% |
| Lee | 1,395 | 53.02% | 1,207 | 45.88% | 29 | 1.10% |
| Leslie | 1,766 | 44.62% | 2,171 | 54.85% | 21 | 0.53% |
| Letcher | 5,488 | 74.26% | 1,775 | 24.02% | 127 | 1.72% |
| Lewis | 2,001 | 47.87% | 2,122 | 50.77% | 57 | 1.36% |
| Lincoln | 3,501 | 62.54% | 2,049 | 36.60% | 48 | 0.86% |
| Livingston | 2,886 | 75.71% | 876 | 22.98% | 50 | 1.31% |
| Logan | 4,903 | 61.77% | 2,953 | 37.20% | 82 | 1.03% |
| Lyon | 1,998 | 76.17% | 596 | 22.72% | 29 | 1.11% |
| Madison | 10,976 | 60.69% | 6,914 | 38.23% | 196 | 1.08% |
| Magoffin | 3,256 | 70.17% | 1,327 | 28.60% | 57 | 1.23% |
| Marion | 4,149 | 77.71% | 1,125 | 21.07% | 65 | 1.22% |
| Marshall | 8,648 | 72.47% | 3,199 | 26.80% | 87 | 0.73% |
| Martin | 2,097 | 58.09% | 1,466 | 40.61% | 47 | 1.30% |
| Mason | 3,552 | 66.45% | 1,737 | 32.50% | 56 | 1.05% |
| McCracken | 17,841 | 70.58% | 7,262 | 28.73% | 175 | 0.69% |
| McCreary | 1,853 | 47.55% | 1,948 | 49.99% | 96 | 2.46% |
| McLean | 2,759 | 73.12% | 967 | 25.63% | 47 | 1.25% |
| Meade | 4,776 | 70.60% | 1,891 | 27.95% | 98 | 1.45% |
| Menifee | 1,423 | 77.72% | 391 | 21.35% | 17 | 0.93% |
| Mercer | 3,829 | 62.23% | 2,195 | 35.67% | 129 | 2.10% |
| Metcalfe | 1,895 | 57.27% | 1,377 | 41.61% | 37 | 1.12% |
| Monroe | 1,464 | 35.46% | 2,618 | 63.40% | 47 | 1.14% |
| Montgomery | 4,719 | 72.88% | 1,669 | 25.78% | 87 | 1.34% |
| Morgan | 2,928 | 81.70% | 620 | 17.30% | 36 | 1.00% |
| Muhlenberg | 8,685 | 74.52% | 2,870 | 24.63% | 99 | 0.85% |
| Nelson | 6,617 | 68.88% | 2,827 | 29.42% | 163 | 1.70% |
| Nicholas | 1,597 | 74.56% | 492 | 22.97% | 53 | 2.47% |
| Ohio | 5,106 | 62.61% | 2,985 | 36.60% | 64 | 0.79% |
| Oldham | 7,612 | 50.16% | 7,425 | 48.93% | 138 | 0.91% |
| Owen | 2,418 | 75.09% | 765 | 23.76% | 37 | 1.15% |
| Owsley | 854 | 53.68% | 717 | 45.07% | 20 | 1.25% |
| Pendleton | 2,480 | 68.64% | 1,047 | 28.98% | 86 | 2.38% |
| Perry | 6,656 | 70.04% | 2,768 | 29.13% | 79 | 0.83% |
| Pike | 18,032 | 73.43% | 6,372 | 25.95% | 153 | 0.62% |
| Powell | 2,586 | 67.50% | 1,174 | 30.65% | 71 | 1.85% |
| Pulaski | 7,623 | 48.50% | 7,964 | 50.66% | 132 | 0.84% |
| Robertson | 582 | 71.94% | 217 | 26.82% | 10 | 1.24% |
| Rockcastle | 1,839 | 41.83% | 2,533 | 57.62% | 24 | 0.55% |
| Rowan | 4,572 | 70.80% | 1,819 | 28.17% | 67 | 1.03% |
| Russell | 2,560 | 39.02% | 3,953 | 60.25% | 48 | 0.73% |
| Scott | 5,305 | 63.80% | 2,913 | 35.03% | 97 | 1.17% |
| Shelby | 5,754 | 61.05% | 3,577 | 37.95% | 94 | 1.00% |
| Simpson | 2,991 | 62.08% | 1,789 | 37.13% | 38 | 0.79% |
| Spencer | 1,862 | 69.37% | 793 | 29.55% | 29 | 1.08% |
| Taylor | 4,413 | 53.56% | 3,780 | 45.88% | 46 | 0.56% |
| Todd | 1,893 | 62.70% | 1,050 | 34.78% | 76 | 2.52% |
| Trigg | 2,804 | 67.55% | 1,283 | 30.91% | 64 | 1.54% |
| Trimble | 1,905 | 75.78% | 583 | 23.19% | 26 | 1.03% |
| Union | 4,286 | 80.75% | 981 | 18.48% | 41 | 0.77% |
| Warren | 14,177 | 50.62% | 13,558 | 48.41% | 273 | 0.97% |
| Washington | 2,502 | 64.34% | 1,315 | 33.81% | 72 | 1.85% |
| Wayne | 2,675 | 50.34% | 2,590 | 48.74% | 49 | 0.92% |
| Webster | 4,240 | 81.59% | 894 | 17.20% | 63 | 1.21% |
| Whitley | 4,610 | 50.38% | 4,404 | 48.13% | 136 | 1.49% |
| Wolfe | 1,730 | 78.64% | 441 | 20.05% | 29 | 1.31% |
| Woodford | 4,624 | 57.85% | 3,270 | 40.91% | 99 | 1.24% |