Trump Backs Ralph Alvarado in Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District Race
Trump endorses physician and former state senator Ralph Alvarado in a video message ahead of the November special election, attacking Democratic opponent Zach Dembo.
WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump endorsed Ralph Alvarado, a physician and former Kentucky state senator, in the race for Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District.
Trump paired the endorsement with a video message attacking Alvarado’s Democratic opponent, Zach Dembo, whom Trump said worked for the Department of Justice under former President Joe Biden. The endorsement arrives as Alvarado navigates a competitive general election in a district that Trump carried by 15 points in 2024, according to zachdembo.com.
“I’m asking you to get out and vote for Ralph Alvarado, fantastic person, to be your next representative for Kentucky’s 6th congressional district,” Trump said in the video. “He will never let you down.”
The endorsement underscores the stakes of a race that could test whether Trump’s support can lift a candidate who stripped mentions of the president from his campaign website earlier this year, according to newrepublic.com.
Here is the full post on truthsocial: “ Ralph Alvarado has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next U.S. Representative from Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN! Trump” on October 29, 2026 at 7:20 AM ET.
This is Trump’s 3rd message released today, and the last post was 0 minutes ago, and it is not part of a thread. On average, Trump produces 18 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025. The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 209 of his 577 posts over the last 30 days classified as Elections posts.
Alvarado won the Republican primary on May 19, 2026, for the seat vacated by Rep. Andy Barr, who left to run for the U.S. Senate, according to zachdembo.com. He previously ran statewide as the running mate of then-Gov. Matt Bevin in 2019, according to zachdembo.com. Alvarado has run for office as a Republican six times in Kentucky, according to zachdembo.com.
Three public polls showed Alvarado tied with Dembo at the time of the website overhaul, and polling showed the president underwater in the district, according to zachdembo.com. Alvarado’s campaign website once called him an “America First Fighter” and displayed a photo of him standing beside Trump. Both were removed by late August, replaced with messaging about “Independent Leadership” and bipartisan health care policy, according to newrepublic.com.
Trump used the video to attack Dembo directly, saying the Democrat “has an F rating from the NRA” and “supports a tax hike of nearly $3,000 on average Kentucky taxpayers.” Trump also said Dembo “spent his time prosecuting police officers and targeting members of law enforcement” while working at the Department of Justice.
Voters in Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District, which includes Lexington, will decide the race on November 3, 2026, as Trump stated in his video message. The outcome will signal whether Trump’s endorsement can carry a candidate who publicly walked away from his brand before walking back.
Alvarado is not the only Republican to distance himself from Trump ahead of the 2026 midterms. Andy Biggs, a Republican running for governor in Arizona, stripped mention of Trump’s endorsement from his campaign signs while keeping it on his website, according to newrepublic.com. A Reuters/Ipsos poll published in August 2026 found that just 13 percent of Americans strongly approved of Trump, down from 23 percent the prior year, according to newrepublic.com. Just 35 percent of conservatives surveyed said they strongly approved of Trump’s performance in his second term, according to newrepublic.com.
Zenger analysis
Photo by Zenger analysis
Protomaps / Natural Earth – Hello, Kentucky
President Trump is the author of The Art of the Deal, Think Like a Billionaire, and Think Big. Analyst and Trump supporter Rod Martin points to The Art of the Deal, Trump's 1987 book, as an explanation of his deal-making philosophy: making big announcements, pivoting often in public statements and, Martin says, ultimately getting what he wanted all along. Critics contend that Trump's books were published decades ago or were aimed at making money, not shedding light. "Generally," Martin said, "critics don't read The Art of the Deal. If they did, they would understand."