1986Final results
1986 election for Kentucky's 7th District
U.S. House · Kentucky
Carl Perkins (D) won with 79.6% of the vote, defeating James T. "jim" Polley (R) by 59.2 points.
Carl PerkinsDemocrat · winner
79.6%90,619
James T. "jim" PolleyRepublican
20.4%23,209
113,828 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1986
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
Carl PerkinsJames T. "jim" Polley
$220.4K
Raised by the campaign
$57.9K
$247.2K
Spent by the campaign
$57.7K
$1.1K
Cash on hand
$194
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1986.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1986