Dr. James Buckmaster, a Henderson physician, filed candidacy papers on Monday with the Kentucky Secretary of State's office.
The other candidates in the May 18 Democratic primary are Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo; Attorney General Jack Conway; retired customs officer Darlene Fitzgerald Price; and Eastwood businessman Maurice Sweeney.
Buckmaster, 51, has never run for office before. But he said in an interview that the Senate needs a dose of common sense given “the excessive amount of spending in Washington.”