UPDATED: Major announcements have been made in recent weeks leading into the 2024 session and election cycle. Many prominent members of the General Assembly have announced they will not run for re-election, including some members of House and Senate leadership.
The announcements come ahead of the January 5, 2024 filing deadline for next year’s elections. Below is a list that will be updated of the lawmakers who will not seek re-election and where some plan to go.
Senate:
- Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer will not seek re-election in 2024. Thayer was first elected to the state Senate in 2003 and is the longest-serving Republican Senate Majority Floor Leader in Kentucky history. “The end of my current term next year will mark 22 years in the Senate and 12 as Majority Floor Leader. After conversations with my adult children, close friends, and colleagues, I have concluded this is the right decision.”
- Sen. Whitney Westerfield, a Republican from Hopkinsville, announced his decision in March of this year. Westerfield has chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee since taking office in 2013. His term also ends in 2024.
- Republican Sen. John Schickel announced last month that he won’t seek reelection. He serves as chairman of the Senate Licensing & Occupations Committee and has served in the state Senate since 2009.
- Democratic Sen. Denise Harper Angel of Louisville announced in early December stating it has been an honor to serve and “it’s time for a new chapter, focusing on my personal life and creating cherished memories with my family.” She has served in the Kentucky Senate since 2005. Her term ends in 2025.
House:
- Kentucky House Democratic Caucus Leader Derrick Graham of Frankfort announced his decision in early December stating “I feel strongly that now is the time to give someone else the chance to be our next state representative, a job I have loved since first being elected in 2002.” Graham made history in 2022 when he became the first Black Kentuckian to head a House of Representatives legislative caucus.
- Rep. Russell Webber, Chair of the House Economic Development and Workforce Investment Committee, is retiring from the legislature to serve as Deputy Treasurer under incoming Kentucky Treasurer Mark Metcalf.
- Republican state Rep. Kevin Bratcher of Louisville announced he will not seek reelection to his seat in the General Assembly and plans to run for Louisville Metro Council District 22. Bratcher was first elected to the House in 1997 and serves as chair of the House Committee on Elections, Constitutional Amendments, and Intergovernmental Affairs. He was previously the first GOP Majority Whip when Republicans took control of the House in 2017.
- Rep. Josie Raymond, a Louisville Democrat, plans to run for Louisville Metro Council District 10 next year rather than seeking reelection to the legislature. Raymond was first elected to the legislature in 2018. Until 2023, she represented House District 31. After redistricting, she won election in District 41.
- Republican Rep. Phillip Pratt of Georgetown, the Chair of the House Committee on Small Business and Information Technology and a ranking member of the Agriculture; Economic Development and Workforce Investment; and Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations committees, will not seek re-election at the end of his term in 2024.
- Republican state Rep. Danny Bentley, who represents a district in northeastern Kentucky, has also decided to not seek re-election. He has served in the House since 2017.
- House Minority Whip Rachel Roberts announced on December 20 that she will not seek re-election in 2024. Roberts, who represents House District 67 in Northern Kentucky and was first elected in 2020, said in a statement she “will continue to live a life of public service to our community and the great Commonwealth of Kentucky.”
- Republican Rep. Jonathan Dixon, who was elected to represent the 11th House District in 2020, also announced on December 20 that he will not seek a third term in 2024. “We knew Jonathan would be a great member when he arrived in Frankfort and within three years, he’s made a huge impact. While I regret that he’s leaving the House, I also appreciate what he’s done for our commonwealth and hope to see his name on a ballot again in the future,” said House Speaker David Osborne.
- Democrat Rep. Ruth Ann Palumbo, representing Fayette County, announced on December 21 that she will not seek reelection in 2024. Palumbo, who has served in the House since 1991, said in a statement “as I complete my term in 2024, it will have been my great honor to have served the people of the 76th Legislative District and the Commonwealth of Kentucky for thirty-four years.”
- Republican Rep. Brandon Reed, Vice Chair of the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee, withdrew his candidacy for re-election on the filing deadline, January 5. Reed has represented the 24th House District since 2017.
“I thank these legislators for their service to Kentucky throughout the years. Being a member of the General Assembly requires much focus and time commitment, and we appreciate their willingness to listen to the needs of the business community when considering policy important to economic growth,” said Kentucky Chamber President and CEO Ashli Watts.
Stay tuned to The Bottom Line for more updates.