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2026 candidates we're tracking in KY-5
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Ned Pillersdorf
Democratic
Ned Pillersdorf is the Democratic nominee for Kentucky's 5th Congressional District. A Prestonsburg attorney with a poverty-focused law practice of 44 years, he holds degrees from Vanderbilt University and the McGeorge School of Law, according to his campaign site and the Kentucky Lantern's voter guide.
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Hal Rogers
Republican
Incumbent
Hal Rogers is the Republican incumbent representing Kentucky's 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to his official House website. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
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Gerardo Serrano
Independent
Gerardo Serrano works as a farmer, according to the Politics1 Kentucky candidate roundup, and has run for Kentucky's 5th Congressional District in several previous election cycles before filing as an independent for 2026. The campaign site quotes Serrano saying the two-party system was left behind because neither party puts ordinary Americans first, and that Congress, not the executive branch alone, must authorize military action. Serrano has been endorsed by the advocacy group Take Back Kentucky for the 5th District race.
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Mikel Wein
Independent
Mikel Wein works as an archaeologist, according to the Politics1 Kentucky candidate roundup. Wein has deep family roots in Letcher County, Kentucky, living on land the family has held on the mother's side since the mid-1800s, per the campaign site. Wein is running as an independent for Kentucky's 5th Congressional District on a platform that includes a proposed 'Resilient Community Corps' to help eastern Kentucky communities recover from flooding and economic decline, along with support for the Medicare for All Act of 2025, according to the campaign site.
About this race
Kentucky's 5th Congressional District elects one member of the U.S. House of Representatives to a two-year term. Every House seat in the country is on the ballot in 2026. The Kentucky primary is Tuesday, May 19, 2026, and the general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.