Zach Dembo, a former U.S. attorney and Kentucky policy adviser, won the primary election Tuesday night for Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District seat.
Although Democrats now have their candidate, they face a tough road to replace outgoing Kentucky Republican Rep. Andy Barr in the November general election after a longtime doctor backed by President Donald Trump won the Republican primary on Tuesday night.
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Democratic congressional candidate Zach Dembo, left, poses with a photo of President Donald Trump hanging in front of the Department of Justice building in Washington, D.C.
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Kentucky Sen. Ralph Alvarado, who Trump called a “true friend” in a recent endorsement, won the primary.
According to Dembo’s website, he began his career as an eighth-grade English teacher before attending law school and serving in the U.S. Navy’s Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps. In 2017, he served a brief period as a federal prosecutor before being appointed by Governor Beshear as Policy Advisor and Legislative Director.
Dembo cited Trump’s weaponization of the Justice Department as the catalyst that spurred him to run for president.
“When Donald Trump began using the Justice Department to go after his political opponents, I resigned,” Dembo said in a campaign video.
“Our system is broken.”
Dembo had raised nearly $1 million, or $956,000, as of the end of April, according to FEC records.
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Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear speaks during the 2025 Semafor World Economic Summit at the Conrad Washington on April 23, 2025 in Washington, DC. The summit brings together CEOs, government officials and financial leaders to discuss the global economy from April 23-25.
Notably, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear did not endorse Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District in the Democratic primary.
Democrats face huge odds in the November election; Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District has historically tilted heavily toward Republicans. Incumbent Kentucky Republican Rep. Andy Barr last won re-election in 2024, defeating Democratic challenger Randy Cravens 63% to 37%.
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Rep. Andy Barr, R-Kentucky, walks to the U.S. Capitol for a House Republican meeting with President Donald Trump on the budget reconciliation bill on May 20, 2025.
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Barr, who has represented Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District since 2013, is seeking a U.S. Senate seat to fill the vacancy left by outgoing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
McConnell, 84, is retiring.
Original source of the article: Former prosecutor who accused Trump of weaponizing Justice Department wins Democratic primary