A Kentucky Democrat is fighting back after a Trump-backed PAC appeared to use multiple AI-manipulated images of him in their attack ads—without publicly disclosing that AI usage to voters.
Zach Dembo, the Democrat running in Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District, is pushing for a recent attack ad from No Going Back PAC to be pulled from airwaves after his campaign claims the ad features multiple depictions of Dembo that aren’t actually him, FOX 56 first reported.
The 30-second ad shows a person who closely resembles Dembo, including likenesses to his campaign photo and a press event featuring Gov. Andy Beshear. But the images aren’t the same as the real ones, with some still photos being turned into video snippets and Dembo wearing different facial expressions than he did in reality.
Under a Kentucky law, campaign materials are required to disclose AI usage. Candidates whose image or voice are altered are able to ask for the ads to be taken down, allowing Dembo’s team to push to get the ad pulled from airwaves.
“Ralph Alvarado has a history of deceiving the people of Kentucky, so it’s fitting that those supporting him have taken to the same tactics,” a Dembo campaign spokesperson told Hellbender Newsroom. “We have full faith that our community will see through this, the same way they saw through Ralph Alvarado when he was Matt Bevin’s running mate.”
PACs—political action committees—are not allowed to work with political candidates or their campaigns.
Dembo’s incident is among a national trend of AI being used to warp voters’ perceptions of candidates as the 2026 fall midterm elections approach. One analysis found that, as of earlier this month, at least 164 campaign ads nationwide were AI-enhanced or produced.
No Going Back PAC, Trump’s newest PAC that is spending millions to defend Republicans across the country, is expected to spend more than half-a-million dollars on Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District race.
The Central Ky. seat is currently held by Republican Rep. Andy Barr, who is running for US Senate, leaving his seat in Congress up for grabs. Dembo, a former federal prosecutor, is facing Alvarado, a doctor and former state senator.
While the seat has been seen as relatively safe for Republicans, Democrats have been eyeing Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District as a potential seat they could flip to their side come November.
Kentucky’s 2026 midterm elections are Nov. 3, with no-excuse, in-person early voting kicking off Oct. 29. The deadline to register to vote is 4 p.m. local time Oct. 5. Anyone turning 18 years old on or before Nov. 3 can register to vote.
