The Ballot Brief
Wayne County, Kentucky

District Judge, 40th Judicial District, Division 2

Bradshaw and Simmons were on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Names follow official Wayne County election filings. Certified results will appear here once the election office certifies the count. Kentucky certifies the general election by November 23, 2026; county canvasses are due November 16. Official results: elect.ky.gov/results/2020-2029/Pages/2026.aspx.

About this race

Athena Cooper Bradshaw and Tom Simmons are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for this seat. Voters across the 40th Judicial District (Clinton, Russell, Wayne) vote on this seat. Kentucky judicial elections are nonpartisan; a primary narrows the field only when three or more candidates file for a seat. Listed from the Kentucky Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate filings list.

What this office does

Trial court judge. A trial judge presides over criminal and civil cases at the first level: bail and pleas, motions, trials, sentencing and civil judgments. Judges are bound by state law and appellate precedent and are barred by judicial conduct rules from campaigning on how they would rule. Most states elect trial judges on a nonpartisan ballot; the term and the courts a judge may sit on vary by state.

This race. Nonpartisan: candidates appear without party labels.

This list comes from official election records but may be incomplete. It can miss, for example, late or petition candidates and some city, school and district races. Your official sample ballot is the final word.

We use AI to research and write election information. Errors are possible. Verify important details with official sources.

Kentucky › Wayne County › District Judge, 40th Judicial District, Division 2

Who won? The official answer comes November 23.

Kentucky makes results final in three steps.
✓
Done · Nov 3
Votes were cast and counted
Election night totals are a first count, not the final one.
2
Happening now · by Nov 16
Wayne County double-checks its count
The county reviews mail ballots, provisional ballots and any recount, then sends official totals to the state.
3
Next · Nov 23
Kentucky makes it official
The State Board of Elections certifies the result. The winner appears on this page that day.

What local news is reporting

Not official yetUpdated November 5, 2026

This report is cited to the outlet that published it. We do not call races. Official running count: Kentucky official results.

District Judge, 40th Judicial District, Division 2
No report found yet

Reports are checked daily until Kentucky certifies on November 23; a certified winner replaces the report on that day.

Athena Cooper Bradshaw

Nonpartisan

Biography

Athena Cooper Bradshaw is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for District Judge, 40th Judicial District, Division 2, per the Kentucky Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate filings list. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.

Tom Simmons

Nonpartisan

Biography

Tom Simmons is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for District Judge, 40th Judicial District, Division 2, per the Kentucky Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate filings list. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.

Next on the ballotKentucky Supreme Court, 3rd District

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Voting info and more

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Questions about this race

Who is running for District Judge, 40th Judicial District, Division 2 in 2026?

2 candidates were tracked for District Judge, 40th Judicial District, Division 2 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Athena Cooper Bradshaw and Tom Simmons. Candidate information follows official Wayne County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

When is the District Judge, 40th Judicial District, Division 2 election in Kentucky?

Election Day was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Certified results will appear on this page as the election office certifies them. Kentucky certifies the general election by November 23, 2026; county canvasses are due November 16. Official results: https://elect.ky.gov/results/2020-2029/Pages/2026.aspx. Voting rules for Kentucky are on the Kentucky election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact Wayne County ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.

Who won the District Judge, 40th Judicial District, Division 2 race?

Not yet reported by the outlets we checked; Kentucky certifies on November 23. We do not call races.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official Wayne County and state election office filings. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official Kentucky election office, or see the full Wayne County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Wayne County ballot

5 tracked races in Wayne County, Kentucky. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on the November 3 ballot
Kentucky Court of Appeals, 3rd DistrictKentucky House District 52District Judge, 40th Judicial District, Division 1See all 5 Wayne County races
Candidate profiles
Athena Cooper Bradshaw, full profileTom Simmons, full profileOfficial Kentucky election office