U.S. Senate candidate Dale Romans to visit Hancock County May 11

Dale Romans, a Louisville thoroughbred trainer running for U.S. Senate as a Democrat, is scheduled to visit Hancock County on Monday, May 11.

Romans, 59, is running for the seat now held by Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, who is not seeking reelection. The 2026 race for Kentucky’s open U.S. Senate seat has drawn a crowded field.

Republican candidates include former Attorney General Daniel Cameron, U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, veteran and former Lexington police officer Johnathan M. Holliday, veteran and educator Jimmy I. Leon, volunteer firefighter Andrew “Nick” Shelley, businessman Nate Morris, helicopter maintenance business owner Mike Faris, medical doctor and farmer Valerie Fredrick, professional farrier James D. Duncan, sourcing supply chain manager Anissa Catlett, filmmaker George Washington and retired businessman Donald Wenzel.

Democrats on the ballot, along with Romans, include Joshua Blanton Sr., Charles Booker, Logan Forsythe, Amy McGrath, Pamela Stevenson and Vincent Thompson.

Romans’ Hancock County stop is part of a series of campaign visits across the state ahead of the May 19 primary. He plans to meet with voters, take questions and outline his reasons for running.

He said that during his May 11 visit to Hancock County, he expects to make several stops for small-group discussions with voters instead of holding one central public forum.

“I’m not exactly sure where we will start, but we are going to hit a lot of stops,” Romans said. “I want people to know I’m here for all of them, Republicans and Democrats alike. I’m here for Kentucky. I believe I can win this and win the general election — just give me a chance. For Republicans, I’m a Democrat you don’t have to be afraid of. For Democrats, I’m here to get your legislation to the floor. I hope to meet as many people as possible.”

When asked why he entered the race, Romans said he is motivated in part by repeated Democrat losses and a desire for a more direct approach to campaigning.

“I don’t think a progressive Democrat can win the general election,” he said. “I thought it would be interesting to test to see if someone who ran that really answered the questions, knew the subject matter, didn’t dodge questions and didn’t use political rhetoric could actually win. That’s what I’d look for in a politician. In my role as Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) president, I spent time on Capitol Hill, and the politics within politics is sickening.”

He said that once someone is elected, party labels should matter less than serving the people. He believes he can do the job well because he is not interested in climbing the political ladder but in working for Kentucky.

Romans said his top priorities include health care, immigration reform, affordability and education.

“These are issues affecting Americans that I believe could gain bipartisan support,” he said. “My opponent Charles Booker talks about generational poverty and ‘40,000 for 40 hours.’ These are things that can’t really happen. He’s a snake oil salesman that is out there just trying to get people to pull the wool over their eyes so they’ll vote for him. I want to focus on practical solutions that can actually get done — things both sides can agree on that will help people.”

Romans said affordability is one of his main concerns and that it is closely connected to immigration and energy costs, arguing that the country needs a stable labor force for manual jobs at reasonable wages to keep store shelves stocked. He added that high diesel prices drive up the cost of shipping, farming and air travel, and said the U.S. should determine whether a lack of refineries is to blame and, if so, invest in building more as a long-term solution.

On health care, he said he supports returning to the Affordable Care Act while exploring improvements.

“I think we need to repeal the big bill and get back to the Affordable Care Act for now, until someone comes up with something better,” he said. “We need tax credits so everyone can afford coverage. The more people we have in the pool, the cheaper the premium is.”

On education, he said alternative approaches could better serve some students.

“I think we can educate people differently. I have met with teachers and discussed that education was difficult for me,” he said. “With modern technology and different ways, we can educate people and we can do a lot of good. I’d love to see pilot programs in spots in Kentucky to help educate kids who need a different path.”

Romans described himself as an “independent Democrat.”

“That means I’m independent of the party and I’m not going to be a puppet to them,” he said. “I’m not looking to climb that political ladder inside the chamber, and I will be the representative for all Kentuckians.”

When asked how he differs from other candidates, Romans pointed to electability.

“If you look at the main contenders — Amy and Charles — I think I’m the only logical one that can win the primary,” he said. “I think I have the ability to win over the moderate Republicans and independents that I don’t think Amy and Charles can. It looks like Andy Barr is going to come out of the Republican side with the news we had this last weekend, that he has already crushed Amy. Charles has tried twice and didn’t get out of the primary the first time. He got crushed when he ran against Rand Paul. Kentucky is not going to vote for those types of Democrats. Even though I may not be far enough left to please some Democrats in Kentucky, if you want Democratic legislation to get to the floor, you have to take back the Senate, and Kentucky is a key piece to taking back the Senate.”

Romans has trained racehorses for decades in Kentucky and across the country, with more than 2,250 career wins, including a victory in the 2011 Preakness Stakes.

Information about his campaign is available at daleromans.com. The campaign also maintains a “Dale for Kentucky” Facebook page with event updates.