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State Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe won't be seeking a congressional seat this cycle, but a former senator might

LRC Public Information

Kentucky Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe — a Republican from Lexington — will not be joining the race for Kentucky's Sixth District congressional seat.

A former Lexington council member and current state lawmaker, Bledsoe had been floated as a potential candidate in Kentucky's Sixth District. The U.S. House seat will open up with the departure of Congressman Andy Barr, who is making a run for U.S. Senate.

Bledsoe said in a statement she's choosing not to run for higher office in this cycle as her children are finishing high school, telling the Lexington Herald-Leader she will also need further surgeries for a 2023 accident. Ultimately she said a run for office in Washington would take more of her time than she has to spare.

The senator went on to signal that she would throw her support behind a candidate who has yet to enter — a suggestion that was followed by an announcement that former state Sen. Ralph Alvarado is weighing a run.

Once considered a purple swing district, the Sixth now leans far more Republican. Still, national Democrats are eying a possible pickup as they work to retake the House in the midterm elections.