Rep. Bart Rowland of Tompkinsville announced Friday he will not seek re-election in 2022. Rowland is the most recent Kentucky lawmaker to announce their decision to not run again.
“I’m extremely honored that the people of this district have allowed me to serve them in the state legislature. With their support, we have been able to accomplish some good things for our Commonwealth, and I am proud of the work we’ve done to defend Kentucky values,” Rowland said in a statement. “However, after almost a decade in Frankfort, I am looking forward to returning home to move on to the next chapter of my life. I want to spend more time with my family and look forward to more time in our insurance agency and on the family farm as well.”
Fellow Republican state Reps. Steve Sheldon of Bowling Green, Joe Fischer in northern Kentucky, Regina Huff of Williamsburg, and many others have also announced they will not be running for their House seats in the coming year.
Rep. Steve Sheldon’s decision came after his family moved to a new home that is outside of the 17th District, which he represents. He said he wanted to go ahead and announce his decision so that other potential candidates in the area could consider a run for office.
Bowling Green optometrist Robert Duvall has announced he will run as a Republican to replace Sheldon.
More recently, Rep. Fischer, the Republican in the 68th District, announced he will instead run for a seat on the Kentucky Supreme Court. Fischer filed to seek the 6th District state Supreme Court seat currently held by Justice Michelle Keller, who is seeking another term.
Cold Spring council member Paul Kloeker has filed to run to replace Fischer in the district.
Rep. Regina Huff is also leaving the General Assembly after nearly 12 years representing the 82nd District. In November when she made the announcement, she said she made the decision to begin her exit from politics two election cycles ago. She has served as chairwoman of the House Education Committee.
Nick Wilson, who won “Survivor” in 2018 and currently an assistant commonwealth attorney for Whitley and McCreary counties, announced in early November he will run for the position as a Republican.
Rep. Jim DuPlessis, who has represented the 25th District since 2014, announced in April he will not be running again due to increasing work responsibilities and a desire for more family time.
Stan Routt, of Elizabethtown, has filed with the SOS to run as a Republican for this seat, and Bonnie Wheeler, also of Elizabethtown, has filed a KREF notice to run on the Republican side as well; no Democrats have filed as yet.
Republican Rep. Jerry Miller of Louisville has also decided he will not run for re-election.
There are three people who have filed in one way or another to run for the 36th District seat including Republicans John Hodgson and David Howser and Democrat Derek Penwell.
Democratic State Rep. Kelly Flood of Lexington announced in September she will not run for re-election. Flood has represented the 75th District since 2008.
Lindsey Burke and Chris Couch have filed KREF notices to run in the Democratic primary to succeed Flood.
In Louisville’s 41st District, Democratic Rep. Attica Scott is running for John Yarmuth’s Congressional seat rather than running for re-election in the state House.
Democrats Daryl Young and Joshua Crowder have filed notices with the KREF concerning the 41st District seat, and Young has filed his paperwork with the SOS.
In the state Senate, there are also many announcements of incumbents not running again.
After 10-years in the state Senate, Democratic Minority Whip Dennis Parrett announced in October he will not seek another term in office. Parrett, from Elizabethtown, told his local newspaper that health problems and the want to “slow down” are his main reasons for not seeking a fourth term in office.
Current Lexington-Fayette County Urban Council member Amanda Bledsoe, Attorney Ross Mann and Andrew Cooperrider, a Lexington coffee shop owner who tried to get Governor Andy Beshear impeached, have all filed to run on for the seat as Republicans. Paula Setser-Kissick has filed her KREF notice to run for the seat as a Democrat.
Incumbent GOP Sen. Wil Schroder has announced that he will not run again in the 24th Senate District, which is comprised of Bracken, Campbell and Pendleton Counties. Financial Planner Shelley Funke Frommeyer has filed her paperwork to run as a Republican to succeed Schroder.
In June, Sen. Paul Hornback, Republican incumbent from Shelbyville, announced he was retiring after 10 years in office to spend more time on his farm and with family.
Three Republicans have filed to run to replace Hornback in the 20th state Senate district. Navy SEAL Senior Chief Aaron Reed, Gary “Tony” McCurdy, and Wayne Karem are all running for the seat in that primary. No Democrats have filed for the seat.
Elections for many of the legislative seats are happening in 2022 and there are many other candidates filed to run in other races across the state.
Stay tuned to The Bottom Line for more election updates.
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