LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Louisville Democrat initially disqualified from running for reelection will officially be on the ballot on Election Day.
Kentucky House District 40 Rep. Nima Kulkarni won her primary election in May, but was challenged by former Rep. Dennis Horlander and her primary challenger, William Zeitz. Kulkarni has been serving in the role since 2018 after beating Horlander.
The petition argued Kulkarni had filed improper paperwork when deciding to run for reelection.
In a new ruling Thursday, the Kentucky Supreme Court unanimously denied the petition to disqualify the incumbent. She will now appear on the ballot unopposed.
Back in June, the state Supreme Court initially moved to disqualify Kulkarni from running.
It wasn't immediately clear who the nominee would be after that decision, so the court passed the issue to the Secretary of State's office. Secretary of State Michael Adams allowed both parties to nominate a candidate.
The Louisville Democratic Party moved to nominate Kulkarni once again. The Republican Party did not nominate a candidate.
Zeitz and Horlander filed another motion looking to challenge Adam's decision and Kulkarni's re-nomination, but a lower court denied it. In its ruling, the Kentucky Supreme Court said the trial court did not abuse its discretion in denying the motion.
In a statement Kulkarni's attorney, James Craig, said Thursday's ruling was a "win for democracy."
"The Kentucky House District 40 voters chose her by a wide margin in the primary, and we've been to two circuit courts and the Kentucky Supreme Court to save their voice," Craig said. "Today's unanimous decision protects the voices of the voters."
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