Contact: Aly Ferguson
aly@newpolitics.org; 480-363-6465
Former Navy JAG officer and federal prosecutor wins competitive primary as a first-time candidate in bid to flip Kentucky’s open 6th District; Recent polling released by New Politics showed Dembo tied with GOP nominee Ralph Alvarado.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 19, 2026) — New Politics endorsed candidate Zach Dembo secured the Democratic nomination for Congress in Kentucky’s 6th District. The former Navy JAG officer and federal prosecutor heads into the general election with the record of service, deep Kentucky roots, and robust campaign necessary to successfully flip this seat in November.
New Politics was the first national organization to endorse Dembo's campaign, and his commitment to putting service to country over partisan self-interest embodies the servant leadership of New Politics candidates.
Recent general election polling released by New Politics last week shows a competitive race between Dembo and GOP nominee Ralph Alvarado, with the candidates tied at 37–37. Dembo’s biography and record of service perform strongly with independent voters (51% said it made them more likely to vote for Dembo). Notably, the same poll found President Trump’s approval rating underwater in the district (42% approve, 50% disapprove). While Trump won the district by 15 points in 2024, Gov. Andy Beshear carried it by 20 points just a year before. View the full polling memo here.
Emily Cherniack, Founder and Executive Director of New Politics, released the following statement:
“Zach Dembo has dedicated his career to serving others — from the classroom, to the Navy, to the Department of Justice. His deep Kentucky roots, combined with his experience working on behalf of the people, make him uniquely qualified to root out corruption in Washington and make Congress work for Kentuckians. New Politics is honored to support Zach’s candidacy and help him win this seat in November.”
New Politics is an organization that revitalizes American democracy by recruiting, developing, and electing leaders across the ideological and political spectrum who have committed their lives to serving their communities and our country, either through military service, national service organizations like AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps, or by demonstrating strong service-based leadership in their community. New Politics’ support includes strategic advising and training in all aspects of a candidate’s campaign, such as fundraising, communications, organizing, hiring, and team building. New Politics has raised over $40 million to support over 475 candidates, successfully electing more than 200 of them to office, from Congress to School Board. Learn more at newpolitics.org.
