Lexington Herald-Leader Layoffs Put Kentucky Local News at Risk McClatchy Media, the parent company of the Lexington Herald-Leader, laid off a total of 13 staff

September 18, 2026/in Culture/by Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech

McClatchy Media Company’s recent round of layoffs will likely speed up the already rapid decline of Kentucky’s media landscape, journalists and journalism experts said.

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The journalists who remain at The Herald-Leader are now expected to produce the same quality journalism with roughly half the newsroom staff, according to former staffers. And laid-off journalists are worried about how the loss of reporters will impact communities, particularly more rural parts of the state without many alternative news sources.

“We know that the math says that if you lose this many people who produce stories over a year’s time, that’s not replaceable,” said Benjy Hamm, director of the University of Kentucky’s Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues. “Hundreds and hundreds of stories [will] go untold now because of this loss.”

McClatchy laid off a total of 13 Herald-Leader staff–12 reporters and one editor–cutting the newsroom by 52 percent and eliminating entire beats, former Herald-Leader staffers said. Now, seven weeks before the November mid-term elections, the paper has two reporters in charge of covering Lexington city and state politics. And the paper lost its only Eastern Kentucky and environmental reporter.

“The fact that our company has been losing money is no secret, but I think layoffs of this scale were surprising to most people involved,” said Alex Acquisto, an award-winning statewide enterprise reporter covering politics and public health for the Herald-Leader and union guild representative who was laid off last week. She spearheaded the newspaper’s coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic before turning to the effects of climate disasters as well as the impacts of Kentucky’ s near-total abortion ban and transgender care bans.

And it’s not just the Lexington Herald-Leader – the media company laid off more than 90 employees across 13 newspapers in eight states last week, including The Miami Herald, The Sacramento Bee, The Kansas City Star, and The Lexington Herald-Leader, Kentucky’s second-largest newspaper.

The newspaper giant has gotten rid of staff and entire newspapers in recent years and has been plagued by debt and declining print revenue, even filing for bankruptcy in 2020. That same year, the formerly family-owned business was sold to the hedge fund Chatham Asset Management. In 2025, the company closed its Washington, D.C. bureau and sold two of its Georgia papers, The Macon Telegraph and The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, to the state subsidiary of the National Trust for Local News this past July.

Kentucky’s rural press is shrinking with several areas considered news deserts. There are six counties in the Bluegrass state without a single news source and 88 with only one, according to a 2025 report from The State of Local News Project from Northwestern University’s Medill Local News Initiative.

Many small towns in Kentucky, including in Eastern Kentucky, have their own daily newspapers that publish an issue at least once a week, like Whitesburg’s The Mountain Eagle and Louisa’s The Levisa Laser.

But as community newspapers struggled to stay afloat, many of Kentucky’s small communities looked to The Herald-Leader for statewide news and their deep politics coverage to stay informed,, journalism experts said.

The daily newspaper’s only reporter based in Eastern Kentucky, Austin R. Ramsey, was one of the staffers impacted by the layoffs.

Acquisto argued that while the layoffs will ultimately hurt the news landscape of Fayette County, the cuts will be more severely felt in rural communities. “That isn’t to say that those communities still won’t look to the Herald-Leader for information, but the type of content that we give them is greatly impacted.”

Jennifer Brown, publisher, editor, and co-founder of the Hopkinsville digital news outlet The Hoptown Chronicle, said that she has relied on The Herald-Leader as a primary source for state political news for years. Most of the region’s available television news comes from stations based in Nashville, she said.

“Many people here are more informed about what’s going on in the Tennessee state government than they are [about] Kentucky,” she said, adding that she is a long-time subscriber to The Lexington Herald-Leader.

Brown worries that the layoffs will impact the newsroom’s institutional knowledge of communities and issues that its reporters have covered for years on their respective beats. .

Hamm, the director of the University of Kentucky’s Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues said though, that the full picture of how the newspaper’s layoffs will impact its coverage is still unclear. But he argued that the cuts would mean fewer watchdog reporters and less reliable information about how elected officials across the state are doing their jobs.

“There is no gain from cutting half your staff that’s beneficial for readership or the community,” Hamm said.

A spokesperson for McClatchy has yet to respond to a request for comment from Queer Kentucky.

A red HIV awareness ribbon on a white surface beside a pen, keyboard, and stethoscope.

Here’s How You Can Find an HIV-Competent Doctor in Kentucky

September 17, 2026/in Health/by Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech

Since reporting began in 1982, more than 12,700 people have been diagnosed with HIV in Kentucky. Of those diagnoses, 58 percent of those reported infections progressed to AIDS, according to a 2025 state HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report.

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Being diagnosed with HIV can feel overwhelming, and recent federal policy changes, funding cuts, and proposed budget reductions have raised concerns about the future of HIV care and prevention across the country.

But there are still resources out there to connect people who have recently been diagnosed with the virus with good care.

Here is what some health care providers recommend HIV positive Kentuckians do to find the care they need.

Reach out to a primary care provider

Reaching out to a primary care provider for recommendations on how to find HIV-related care is a good first step, according to the National Library of Medicine.

However, some people in rural parts of Kentucky might struggle to find local providers with knowledge of treating a person living with HIV, or they may experience social stigma, according to Alice Thornton, a professor at the University of Kentucky, chief of its division of infectious diseases at its college of medicine and the project director for the Kentucky AIDS Education and Training Center.

“If they have a trusted local provider, they should be able to help,” she told Queer Kentucky. “Their primary care physician may be aware of options in their area and could be a starting place.”

Turn to The Bluegrass Care Clinic at the University of Kentucky

The Bluegrass Care Clinic at the University of Kentucky provides HIV-related care to 2,200 people across 63 counties, with about half of those patients living in rural areas, according to Thornton. The clinic offers a breadth of services for those with HIV and other infectious diseases, including transportation.

Prospective patients can reach a navigator nurse at (859) 323-1688.

Thornton added that the University of Kentucky also recently launched the LINK Project, a community health initiative meant to help those at increased risk for contracting HIV and Hepatitis C receive medical care and continue to get the care they need.

People with HIV can request information about HIV providers in their area by emailing [email protected].

“The LINK team can help with the handoff to care and can assist in removing barriers that the person may have in accessing services,” Thornton said.

Check out The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program

The Bluegrass Care Clinic is part of a national, federally funded program called the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which provides a system of HIV primary medical care, medications, and essential support services for low-income people with the virus, according to the program’s website.

Thornton recommends that people looking for HIV care do some research on the program and what it provides because of the wealth of resources it supports. The program funds cities, counties, states, and local community-based organizations to provide HIV care, treatment, and services to more than 600,000 people across the country.

“All of our Ryan White Clinics across Kentucky are nationally renowned for their high-quality care, retention in care, and achievement of viral suppression,” said Jon Parker, CEO of AVOL Kentucky.

Every state and U.S. territory has a Health Resources & Services Administration-funded Ryan White Part B program, and Kentuckians can find a map of case managers and qualifying clinics on the state’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services website.

Kentucky is one of many U.S. states that also have Ryan White Part C and Part D programs, which deliver HIV care at greatly reduced or no cost to patients, Thornton said.

People can also find HIV testing sites and HIV care services provided through the Ryan White program via this national website. Those looking for a Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program medical provider can find one here.

The website allows users to enter a ZIP code and find a provider within a defined radius. Thornton urged rural Kentuckians to search for providers via the website within a 60- to 80-mile radius of their homes to help the site find programs close to their location.

A collage image of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear smiling, set against the U.S. Capitol building and an American flag background.

Associated Press

Beshear’s National Rise Could Mean A Less Hands-On Approach at Home As Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear goes national, experts say his governing style may shift

August 27, 2026/in Gov & Politics/by Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech

Governor Andy Beshear will likely take a less hands-on approach to governing Kentucky as he tries to court a national constituency for a possible presidential run, political experts said.

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Beshear has been recognized for his boots-on-the-ground style of governance, like his hands-on approach to managing the December 2021 Western Kentucky tornado outbreak and the 2022 Eastern Kentucky floods.

This approach helped him win reelection in 2023. But Kentuckians will likely not see the same level of day-to-day management from the governor as he spends more time out of state and wades into more national political battles to prove that he is president material.

“Beshear is playing to a much larger constituency and walking around sodden fields in Western Kentucky isn’t going to do him a whole lot of political good at this point,” Stephen Voss, associate professor of political science at the University of Kentucky, told Queer Kentucky.

Beshear’s audience changed after he won his second term as a lame duck governor, said Kyle Kondick, managing editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a nonpartisan weekly newsletter on politics. And he appears to have some interest in running for president.

While Beshear has not officially announced a 2028 presidential campaign, it is widely believed that he is positioning himself for a potential run. In 2023, he said that his gubernatorial re-election campaign may not be his last; he launched a federal super PAC called In This Together PAC in January 2024; he is embarking on a promotional tour for his book Go and Do Likewise, and he has taken part in some high-profile political fights.

“The biggest challenge Beshear faces as a non-grandstanding candidate is he still needs to convince Democratic primary voters that he’s got fight in him, that he’ll take the fight to Trump’s Republican Party,” said Voss.

“We’ll likely continue to see Beshear take positions on issues that might get national attention.”

Beshear recently jumped into the national conversation around the role of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. During a Team Kentucky update last week, Beshear called ICE the “worst-trained, most aggressive law enforcement unit” he has ever seen when asked about a $20 million deal with the agency made to purchase shock gloves produced in Lexington.

He then called for every ICE agent to be “withdrawn, retrained, and actually taught what the law does and does not allow.”

These comments come shortly after Beshear has placed public pressure on Republican U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell during his prolonged absence from public life. He also recently entered an online spat with U.S. Senator Rand Paul after he criticized Beshear for not attending the Fancy Farm Picnic, a community festival and church fundraiser that serves as the unofficial start of Kentucky’s campaign season.

Kentuckians should also expect Beshear to make more decisions at home framed for a national Democratic audience, especially on Civil Rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and other values that conflict with the current GOP legislature, experts said.

Voss noted that Beshear will likely not change his position on those issues now that he has broader ambitions.

“Beshear has managed to serve as a voice in favor of LGBTQ+ rights, including trans rights, while doing it in a language that was not particularly provocative and that didn’t evoke a lot of opposition from his more moderate supporters,” he said.

Executive Director of The Fairness Campaign Chris Hartman noted that Beshear has supported LGBTQ+ rights “long before it was popular” and that he believes the governor will continue to do so.

“It’s still not popular, and the governor leaned into the protection of trans youth and their rights while he was running for reelection…and that is really rare.”

Democratic State Senator Keturah Herron added that she does not think Beshear’s stance on policy and governing style will change much throughout the remainder of his term.

“I think the governor will continue to govern Kentucky these last 16 months or so as he did on day one and throughout his term, with love, compassion, focusing on economic growth, public education, and keeping the main thing the main thing,” Herron wrote in an email to Queer Kentucky.

Beshear’s spokesperson Scottie Ellis said that the governor’s main priority will always be serving the people of Kentucky.

“The Governor has proven his commitment to our Commonwealth and his ability to balance the demands of the job and his personal responsibilities by delivering record-breaking investments and new jobs, maintaining safe roadways and bridges, helping the state overcome 16 federally declared weather disasters and more,” Ellis wrote in an email.

“The book tour presents another opportunity for Gov. Beshear to further showcase Kentucky on a national stage, as our commonwealth plays an important part in “Go and Do Likewise.”

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks at a Senate hearing in Washington, D.C in May 2026.

50 Days, 50 Missed Votes: How McConnell’s Absence Is Stalling Kentucky’s Priorities From the farm bill to defense spending, Sen. Mitch McConnell's prolonged absence has left Kentucky without a decisive vote at a critical moment in Washington.

August 9, 2026/in Gov & Politics/by Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech

It has been over 50 days since U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell was hospitalized after falling in his Washington, D.C., home. During his prolonged absence from public life, the Republican lawmaker has missed 60 roll call votes and the unofficial start of the campaign season, Kentucky’s Fancy Farm Picnic.

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In late July, Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, demanded that McConnell make a direct, public verbal address or video appearance to prove he is cognitively and physically able to serve or to resign. McConnell and his office have only released written updates with few details about the senator’s health. On Friday, McConnell released another statement saying that he had been discharged from the rehab center and will be doing physical therapy at home.

In his most recent statement, McConnell did not indicate when he would make a public appearance or return to work.

Beshear noted in his letter to McConnell that the country is facing numerous challenges in his absence that he is required to address as an elected official and former Senate Republican leader.

“President Trump is stuck in a war of his own making and has greatly strengthened the very country he claims is a threat. Prices continue to rise, crushing Americans who are working hard but not getting ahead,” Beshear wrote. “Americans’ voting rights are being eliminated by the Supreme Court and threatened by congressional action.”

Here’s a brief breakdown of how McConnell’s absence is impacting Kentuckians:

Kentuckians will not likely feel an impact on their day-to-day lives yet

Legal and politics experts noted that Kentuckians will likely not notice a difference in their lives just yet since McConnell’s staff is likely taking care of the daily operations required to keep existing federal programs running.

“I doubt there’s much harm being done,” said Al Cross, retired professor emeritus of journalism at the University of Kentucky School of Journalism. “McConnell has a very good staff; they can take care of all the business that Kentucky has.”

Farm Bill, Defense Authorization Act stalled

The long-time Republican senator holds influential positions in several key committees, including the Rules and Administration; Appropriations; and Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry committees. His long absence means he is no longer the deciding vote on committee panels where Republicans have a small majority over Democrats, like on the Appropriations Committee.

This means multiple pieces of legislation lawmakers are trying to push out of committee have stalled since McConnell is not present to cast a tie-breaking vote. Committee leaders have also had to repeatedly delay or cancel scheduled markups and hearings for fiscal year funding bills due to the senator’s ill health.

McConnell’s absence has directly impacted the advancement of the federal farm bill, a major package of laws that impacts food and farming across the country, that is renewed roughly once every five years. Arkansas Sen. John Boozman (R ), chair of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, cast a yes vote last week for the bill on McConnell’s behalf. While Senate rules do allow lawmakers the chance to vote by proxy in some cases, Boozman’s by-proxy vote for McConnell did not count due to specific committee rules.

The package sets national policy on agriculture, nutrition, conservation, and rural development, with nutrition being the largest part of it, which includes multiple food assistance programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps.

Nearly 560,000 Kentuckians received SNAP funds in July of this year alone, according to data from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

The House-passed version of the package does not expand the program and maintains cuts that were enacted last year. It also supports requiring states with SNAP error rates above 6 percent to cover a percentage of the program’s benefit cost based on a sliding scale. Before, the program was completely federally funded.

McConnell’s weeks-long absence prevented Republicans from having enough votes to move the bill out of committee along party lines ahead of its August recess.

The 84-year-old senator serves as the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, and his lengthy absence has stalled national defense spending. His absence leaves the committee panel at a 14-14 partisan tie, preventing Republicans from passing defense appropriations or military funding packages against a unified Democratic opposition.

The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2027 passed the House but has faced delays in the Senate, in part, due to McConnell’s absence. Democrats are opposing the bill in protest of the Trump administration’s ongoing war with Iran and over the bill’s proposed $1.15 trillion budget for national security, which they argue is an excessive increase coupled with cuts to domestic and non-defense programs.

Democrats have also raised concerns over the inclusion of extreme-right provisions targeting the LGBTQ+ community in the annual spending bill and provisions that appear designed to more closely tie together U.S. and Israeli militaries.

A House-passed version of the bill included an anti-transgender amendment that prohibits gender-related medical care under TRICARE, the healthcare program for members of the armed forces and their families. The provision also bars the program from covering the cost of gender-related medical procedures and treatments. Congress also passed an amendment to the bill that bans transgender girls from taking part in female sports at Department of Defense Activity schools.

Republicans hold a small majority in the Senate, at 53-47, and McConnell’s continuing absence has tightened that margin.

Potentially delayed some harmful Trump administration priorities

McConnell’s absence, in general, means that Republican lawmakers hold a little bit less power at the federal level, which some left-leaning elected officials have argued might be useful for the state and the country as a whole.

Gov. Beshear told Bloomberg’s Joe Mathieu that McConnell’s ongoing absence means Republicans potentially can not count on his vote for the SAVE Act if the measure comes to the floor. Under the broader reiteration of the bill dubbed the SAVE America Act, voters would be required to show documents to prove their citizenship in person at the polling sites. Americans who have legally changed their names because of marriage or to better align with their gender identity might find this new requirement particularly challenging to meet.

“Not having Mitch McConnell show up isn’t necessarily a bad thing because he certainly doesn’t show up to help the American people.”

Mitch McConnell behind a podium and pointing.

Mitch McConnell Discharged from Rehab Center, Returns Home for Physical Therapy

August 7, 2026/in Gov & Politics/by Alex Cooper

Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell announced on Tuesday that he had been released from the rehab facility he was staying at following a fall several weeks ago.

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“On the advice of my doctors, I’ll maintain an intensive regimen of physical therapy from home during the state work period, and I’ll continue to engage with my staff and colleagues on important Senate business,” he said in a statement.

McConnell, 84, has not made a public appearance since being hospitalized on June 14 following what he described in a statement as a fall that left him “briefly unconscious.”

“My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion. I didn’t have a heart attack or a stroke. I don’t have any tumors or hemorrhages,” he said in a statement in June.

His office published additional statements in late July saying he is still having “intense physical therapy.”

Questions have been raised about his ability to serve the remainder of his term, which ends in January 2027. Conspiracy theories emerged after McConnell’s office released two images of the senator with his wife, Elaine Chao.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a likely 2028 presidential contender, has called for McConnell to resign if he cannot serve in office anymore.

“I am calling on you to directly and verbally address the people of Kentucky and provide proof of your capacity to serve, or resign,” Beshear wrote to McConnell late last month, according to the Associated Press.

McConnell’s absence has put a spotlight on a 2024 state law that changed how an empty U.S. Senate seat could be filled. Instead of the governor being allowed to select a temporary senator, it instead requires a special election to serve out the remaining term of the seat. McConnell’s term expires in January 2027.

Beshear vetoed the law, but the GOP-controlled legislature overrode the veto. There are competing claims to what could happen if a vacancy should emerge.

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Kentucky’s Competing Laws Make a Senate Vacancy Anything But Simple

August 6, 2026/in Gov & Politics/by Margaret Hetherman

Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell’s extended hospital stay has sparked more than conspiracy theories and proof-of-life memes. It’s raised a question Kentucky politicians and officials are grappling with: If a vacancy were to occur, who decides who will represent Kentucky in the U.S. Senate?

McConnell, 84, has not made a public appearance since being hospitalized on June 14 following what he described in a statement as a fall that left him “briefly unconscious.” “My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion. I didn’t have a heart attack or a stroke. I don’t have any tumors or hemorrhages,” he said. His office published additional statements in late July saying he is still having “intense physical therapy.”

While his office has issued assurances that McConnell is stable and pushing through a rigorous regimen of physical therapy, two recently released bedside photos with his wife Elaine Chao have been mocked for their “staged” vibes, fueling speculation ranging from claims that the senator is on life support to suggestions that he is purposely convalescing to avoid dealing with the SAVE Act. For some, his absence at Fancy Farm was the last straw, and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has been leading the charge among Democrats to call for the senator’s resignation. Were he to do so, what follows isn’t straightforward.

“It’s actually pretty complicated,” Joshua A. Douglas, a professor and associate dean for research at the University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law, told Queer Kentucky. “And I think there’s a decent chance the issue could end up in the courts.”

To be clear, McConnell may be absent from the Senate floor, but he still has the seat — though senators are not permitted to vote when absent. McConnell has missed 46 votes since being hospitalized, and the empty chair has generated interest in an unresolved constitutional question involving Kentucky law and competing U.S. constitutional provisions.

Wielding a vote, a senator can affect federal legislation like the Equality Act, approve funding for programs including HIV prevention and treatment, and influence judicial confirmations that could be highly consequential for LGBTQ+ rights, such as marriage equality and trans protections.

In Kentucky, competing state laws are creating uncertainty about how a vacancy would be filled, should one arise — typically, this would happen as a result of death, resignation or expulsion from the Senate.

“Before 2024, Kentucky law allowed the governor to appoint a successor if there is a vacancy from a list of three people provided by the outgoing senator’s party,” explained Douglas. “But the legislature passed a new law in 2024, House Bill 622, that takes away the governor’s authority to fill a vacancy.”

That bill had been introduced in the wake of McConnell’s February 28, 2024, announcement that he would step down as Senate Republican leader, while serving the remainder of his term. While the bill was winding its way through Kentucky’s General Assembly, Beshear, a Democrat, vetoed it, but Kentucky’s GOP-controlled House and Senate overrode the veto.

“So, if there is a vacancy, the governor would call a special election,” said Douglas.

But it’s tricky.

“The Kentucky Constitution Section 152 seems to contradict this,” Douglas told Queer Kentucky, quoting the provision’s language: “Vacancies in all offices for the state at large, or for districts larger than a county, shall be filled by appointment of the governor.”

And it gets more complicated when the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is taken into account. It establishes a federal framework, but how that framework interacts with Kentucky’s constitution and current statute is where things get murky.

The amendment permits a governor to make a temporary appointment until the vacancy is filled by election, if state law allows such appointments. Most states permit a governor to make a temporary appointment as per the 17th Amendment, and Kentucky law allowed this for about 80 years, until 2021, when McConnell and fellow Republicans backed a bill that was passed by the Republican-controlled legislature, which restricted how Beshear might fill a vacancy.

Per Kentucky’s current statute (HB 622), that would involve a special election. The person would only serve for the remainder of the current term, said Douglas. There would still be a regular election for the term that starts January 3, 2027, when the next U.S. Congress begins.

“Hence the contradiction,” he said, “The 17th Amendment says the legislature may authorize the governor to appoint a temporary replacement, the Kentucky Constitution says the governor appoints one, and the Kentucky legislature now says there must be a special election after the new law.”

Timing adds another layer of uncertainty.

While the current law says that there is a 63-day deadline for notice and a 56-day deadline for filing, Douglas said he doesn’t see a deadline requirement for the governor to call the special election.

“I don’t see anything in the law providing a deadline for when the Governor must call the special election. But the 63-day notice and 56-day deadline for filing certainly impacts this all.”

Considering that November 3 is the scheduled general election day to determine who will replace McConnell at the end of his term, Beshear would have to issue a “proclamation” that sheriffs receive by September 1. County sheriffs are responsible for giving public notice of elections. So Candidates would need to file by September 8 if the special election were to be held by November 3.

If those deadlines are not met, it’s unclear when the special election would be held to fill the remainder of McConnell’s term, should the seat become vacant. That raises the question as to whether the special election could be held on or after the scheduled general election on November 3 to determine who serves the new six-year Senate term starting January 2027.

All things considered, given the latest change in current law enacted by Republican legislators in 2024 (HB 622), the most likely outcome would be a special election with a good chance the matter gets taken up by the Kentucky court system – potentially working its way from Circuit Court to Kentucky Court of Appeals to the Supreme Court of Kentucky – to address the question as to whether the governor has the constitutional authority or obligation to make a temporary appointment.

As for working its way up to SCOTUS? It probably won’t reach the U.S. Supreme Court, because it’s really a matter of Kentucky constitutional law, and also, the 17th Amendment permits a state legislature (governor) to make a temporary appointment – but doesn’t require it.

With Republicans holding a narrow majority of 53-47, even a temporary vacancy – or a Democrat appointee – could affect legislation and political dynamics for the whole country. While Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Barr and Democrat Charles Booker are on course to challenge each other in the general election for McConnell’s seat, it’s not a given that they would be selected to face off against each other in a special election. That uncertainty of timing, authority, and eventually who is on the ballot is probably going to remain unresolved until McConnell’s seat becomes vacant or his term simply ends.