state senate districtKentucky 8th State Senate District
presidential margin
2004–2024 · Democratic minus Republican
2004R+21.9
2008R+8.8
2012R+21.0
2016R+34.2
2020R+30.9
2024R+35.2
net swing · 2004→2024R+13.3R+21.9 → R+35.2
vs. U.S. · 2024R+33.7R+35.2 vs R+1.5
presidential returns
2024 turnout 62.7% of 89,963 citizens 18+
Year
Democrat
Republican
Others
Total
CVAP
Turnout
2024
17,835
37,658
871
56,364
89,963
62.7%
2020
19,711
37,804
1,100
58,615
88,158†
66.5%
2016
16,395
35,076
3,169
54,640
86,838†
62.9%
2012
19,413
29,985
937
50,335
85,927†
58.6%
2008
23,375
28,001
1,004
52,380
83,592†
62.7%
2004
19,316
30,237
385
49,938
81,257†
61.5%
† Citizen voting-age population estimated for prior cycles from the constituent-county ACS trend anchored to the current figure. Source: ACS 5-year, table B05003.
——
D+60R+60
20042024
Boundary by 2024 margin · Precinct returns · VEST · MIT Election Lab
People and households
Who lives here
Exact values for this place, its state, and the United States.
Race · ethnicity · ancestry
Communities and origins
GroupKY SD 8KentuckyUnited States
English15.6%14.5%9.5%
American14.4%11.5%5.3%
Irish10.8%11.0%9.4%
German10.4%12.7%12.5%
Scottish2.3%2.0%1.3%
Italian1.4%2.0%4.8%
French1.1%1.1%1.6%
Polish0.6%—2.2%
African American†4.0%6.6%9.9%
Mexican2.0%2.4%11.3%
Puerto Rican0.5%0.5%1.8%
Guatemalan0.3%0.3%0.5%
Honduran0.3%—0.3%
Argentinean0.2%——
Burmese1.2%——
Asian Indian0.3%0.3%1.4%
Hispanic or Latino counts residents of any race; the race groups count only their non-Hispanic residents, so the groups are mutually exclusive and sum to 100%. Expand a row to see ancestries reported within that group.
Age and life stage
Measure
KY SD 8
Kentucky
United States
Median age
39.2
39.2
39.1
Age 18–24
8.2%
9.1%
9.2%
Age 65 and older
17.8%
17.3%
17.2%
Household economy
Measure
KY SD 8
Kentucky
United States
Median household income
$67,757
$63,726
$84,427
Poverty rate
14.4%
16.1%
12.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher (25+)
24.8%
27.7%
35.6%
Languages at home
Measure
KY SD 8
Kentucky
United States
Speaks a non-English language at home
5.4%
6.8%
22.3%
Spanish
2.9%
3.4%
13.6%
Other Asian & Pacific Island
1.0%
0.5%
1.1%
Religious landscape
Measure
KY SD 8
Kentucky
United States
Catholic
—
7.9%
18.6%
Evangelical Protestant
—
31.3%
16.5%
Unclaimed / not counted
—
50.7%
51.5%
American Community Survey 2024 5-year (CVAP, income, age, poverty, education, language, race, ancestry) · presidential returns from MIT Election Lab through 2024 · 2020 U.S. Religion Census (ASARB) — congregational adherents; unclaimed is the residual not counted by congregations.
Kentucky 8th State Senate District
presidential history
Presidential margin, 2004–2024
Democratic minus Republican, by election
Presidential margin over time
Year
Margin (D minus R)
2004
−21.9%
2008
−8.8%
2012
−21.0%
2016
−34.2%
2020
−30.9%
2024
−35.2%
DemocraticRepublican
6 presidential elections
Third column names the leading third-party or independent finisher. Source · MIT Election Lab · ICPSR · VEST (precinct-level 2024). Swing · margin change from the prior cycle. vs U.S. · margin relative to the national result that year. Third-party votes in 2012 are allocated from certified county totals by this place's share of each county's two-party vote — that cycle's precinct source records two-party splits. † 2004, 2020 sub-county results are estimated: the source's block-level detail for these cycles was unreliable — either county/municipality-level consolidated reporting (COVID-era) or a precinct-to-block allocation that misplaced votes — so the figures are allocated from the constituent county totals in proportion to the place and scaled to certified totals.
Year
Won
Democratic
Republican
Other
Margin
Swing
vs U.S.
Total
R
31.6%Harris17,835
66.8%Trump37,658
1.5%
R+35.2
R+4.3
R+33.7
56,364
R
33.6%Biden19,711
64.5%Trump37,804
1.9%
R+30.9
D+3.3
R+35.3
58,615
R
30.0%Clinton16,395
64.2%Trump35,076
5.8%
R+34.2
R+13.2
R+36.3
54,640
R
38.6%Obama19,413
59.6%Romney29,985
1.9%
R+21.0
R+12.2
R+24.9
50,335
R
44.6%Obama23,375
53.5%McCain28,001
1.9%
R+8.8
D+13.0
R+16.1
52,380
R
38.7%Kerry19,316
60.5%Bush30,237
0.8%
R+21.9
—
R+19.4
49,938
current representation
Current officeholders
RGary BoswellState Senate · 8
State legislative officeholder from OpenStates nightly current-legislator data.
With a 2024 presidential margin of R+41, this south-central Kentucky district ranks among the state's most one-sided, reflecting the deep rural realignment that has reshaped Appalachian and coalfield communities over the past two decades.
Across the recorded series it reached a Republican high of 35.2 points in 2024. Between 2020 and 2024 the district moved 4.3 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 35.2 points.
A population of 121,559, a 86% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $67,757 describe the district. The district's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of State Senate District 1 and State Senate District 4.
Akashic
Political twins — state-senate districts
The state-senate districts whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
Cite this page
All citations released under CC BY 4.0. Attribution: Akashic Intelligence.
Kentucky 8th State Senate District. Akashic. https://akashic.app/sld-upper/21008/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.
How did Kentucky 8th State Senate District vote in 2024?
In 2024, Kentucky 8th State Senate District voted Republican by 35.2 points (R+35.2), carried by the Republican candidate. Out of 56,364 votes cast, 17,835 went Democratic and 37,658 went Republican.
How many people live in Kentucky 8th State Senate District?
Kentucky 8th State Senate District has a population of 121,559 according to the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates from the US Census Bureau.
What is the median household income in Kentucky 8th State Senate District?
Median household income in Kentucky 8th State Senate District is $67,757 — below the national median of $80,734. The Kentucky state median is $63,726.
What is the political history of Kentucky 8th State Senate District?
Akashic tracks 6 presidential elections in Kentucky 8th State Senate District from 2004 to 2024. Of those, 0 went Democratic and 6 went Republican.
