The Kentucky onAir Hub supports Kentuckians to become more informed about and engaged in local, state, and federal politics while facilitating more civil and positive discussions with their representatives, candidates, and fellow citizens.
Kentucky onAir is one of 50 state governance and elections hubs that the US onAir Network is providing to help reinvigorate US democracy. This post has short summaries of current state and federal representatives with links to their complete Hub posts. Students curate post content from government, campaign, social media, and public websites. Key content on the Kentucky Hub is also replicated on the US onAir nations Hub at: us.onair.cc.
Kentucky students will be forming onAir chapters in their colleges and universities to help curate Hub content. As more students participate and more onAir chapters are started, we will expand to include more state and local content as well as increase the number of aircasts – student-led, livestreamed, online discussions with candidates, representatives, and the public.
The base content in each post in this Kentucky onAir Hub has been updated as of 12/20/23. In addition to the eight posts on the home page, in depth posts on each US House member and posts on Kentucky government and elections have been started. These posts have been shared with the US onAir Hub and will updated in the US onAir automatically when they are updated in this hub.
If your university or nonpartisan organization (such as a government focused research center, citizen engagement program or a League of Women Voters chapter) is interested in assisting the US onAir network to help curate new issue posts or other posts on this Hub and moderate the forums in each post, contact Ben Murphy at Ben.Murphy@onair.cc.
We are also supporting college students to start an onAir chapter on the their campus to coordinate the curation and moderation of posts especially on state and local representatives and government.
Summary
The Kentucky onAir Hub supports Kentuckians to become more informed about and engaged in local, state, and federal politics while facilitating more civil and positive discussions with their representatives, candidates, and fellow citizens.
Kentucky onAir is one of 50 state governance and elections hubs that the US onAir Network is providing to help reinvigorate US democracy. This post has short summaries of current state and federal representatives with links to their complete Hub posts. Students curate post content from government, campaign, social media, and public websites. Key content on the Kentucky Hub is also replicated on the US onAir nations Hub at: us.onair.cc.
Kentucky students will be forming onAir chapters in their colleges and universities to help curate Hub content. As more students participate and more onAir chapters are started, we will expand to include more state and local content as well as increase the number of aircasts – student-led, livestreamed, online discussions with candidates, representatives, and the public.
The base content in each post in this Kentucky onAir Hub has been updated as of 12/20/23. In addition to the eight posts on the home page, in depth posts on each US House member and posts on Kentucky government and elections have been started. These posts have been shared with the US onAir Hub and will updated in the US onAir automatically when they are updated in this hub.
If your university or nonpartisan organization (such as a government focused research center, citizen engagement program or a League of Women Voters chapter) is interested in assisting the US onAir network to help curate new issue posts or other posts on this Hub and moderate the forums in each post, contact Ben Murphy at Ben.Murphy@onair.cc.
We are also supporting college students to start an onAir chapter on the their campus to coordinate the curation and moderation of posts especially on state and local representatives and government.
About
All hub content in onAir hubs is free to the public. Hub ontent is under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial license which permits content sharing and adaptation by nonprofit organizations as long as proper attribution is given to its author(s) and is used for non-commercial purposes. Content and moderation guidelines reinforce our commitment to fact-based, comprehensive content and civil and honest discourse.
To participate in aircast and post discussions, email usdemocracy@onair.cc and include your first name last name, and zipcode. Your real name and any other profile information will not be displayed unless you choose to do so. Your personal information is not shared with any other website or organization.
Hub membership will enable you to:
Participate in issue and interview aircasts (student-led livestreamed discussions);
Interact directly with post authors and curators giving them feedback, content suggestions, and asking questions;
Ask questions, make suggestions, and give endorsement to representatives
Current Position: Governor Affiliation: Democrat Former Position: Attorney General from 2016 – 2019
Andy Beshear is the son of former Governor Steve Beshear. Beshear and Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman are the only Democratic statewide elected officials in Kentucky. In 2005, Beshear was hired by the law firm Stites & Harbison, at which his father was a partner.
Featured Quote: Thank you to @RepJohnYarmuth and leaders across this country for making the American Rescue Plan Act a reality. It will truly help us build a better Kentucky as we emerge from this pandemic and position our commonwealth to lead.
Current Position: US Senator since 1985 Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 US Senator Former Position: Judge/Executive of Jefferson County from 1977 – 1984
McConnell has been the leader of the Senate Republican Conference since 2007 and is the longest serving Senate party leader in US history.
Other Positions: Senate Minority Leader
Featured Quote: Get vaccinated! These shots need to get into arms as rapidly as possible, or else we’re gonna be back in a situation this fall like what we went through last year.
Current Position: US Senator since 2011 Affiliation: Republican Former Position: Opthamalogist from 1983 – 2011 Other Positions: Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship (Ranking Member)
Rand Paul is a son of former three-time presidential candidate and 12-term U.S. representative from Texas, Ron Paul. Paul describes himself as a constitutional conservative and supporter of the Tea Party movement. Paul was a practicing ophthalmologist in Bowling Green, Kentucky, from 1993 until his election to the Senate in 2010.
Featured Quote: 4 million dead and Dr. Fauci still believes we should continue funding of the Wuhan Lab. Extraordinary and unmatched poor judgement that should preclude Dr. Fauci from being anywhere near the reins of power.
Current Position: US Representative of KY District 1 since 2016 Affiliation: Republican Former Positions: Agriculture Commissioner of Kentucky from 2012 – 2016; State Delegate from 2001 – 2012 Other Positions: Committee on Oversight and Reform District: Western Kentucky, and stretching into Central Kentucky, the district takes in Henderson, Hopkinsville, Madisonville, Paducah, Murray, Danville, and Frankfort. Upcoming Election:
After college, he and his family started James Comer, Jr. Farms,[5] a 2,300 acres (950 ha) farm, and he also co-owns Comer Land & Cattle Co. He served as a director of the South Central Bank for 12 years. Comer served as president of the Monroe County Chamber of Commerce from 1999 to 2000.
Featured Quote: Cyberattacks from hostile foreign actors are rising under @JoeBiden. It’s time for President Biden to finally get tough on Russia and China @FoxBusiness
Current Position: US Representative of KY District 2 since 2009 Affiliation: Republican Former Position: State Senator from 2000 – 2008 Other Positions: Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee District: west central Kentucky, the district includes Bowling Green, Owensboro, Elizabethtown, and a portion of eastern Louisville. Upcoming Election:
Guthrie is a former vice president of Trace Die Cast, Inc., an automotive parts supplier based in Bowling Green. He previously served as a field artillery officer in the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Featured Quote: Socialism has led to suffering & oppression in Cuba & other countries where tried. A resolution I support denounces socialism & opposes socialist polices being implemented here. Much has been sacrificed to ensure our freedoms in the U.S.-freedoms Cubans are fighting for. #SOSCuba
Current Position: US Representative of KY District 3 since 2023 Affiliation: Democrat District: It encompasses almost all of Louisville Metro, which, since the merger of 2003, is consolidated with Jefferson County, though other incorporated cities exist within the county, such as Shively and St. Matthews. Upcoming Election:
JMorgan McGarvey represented the 19th district in the Kentucky Senate from 2013 to 2023. In 2018, he was elected minority leader, becoming one of the youngest members of a general assembly in the nation to serve in a leadership role. He is currently the only Democrat in Kentucky’s congressional delegation. He is the son of John McGarvey, a staff member for former Kentucky Governor Wendell Ford
Current Position: US Representative of KY District 4 since 2012 Affiliation: Republican Former Position: Judge-Executive of Lewis County from 2011 – 2012 District: follows the Ohio River. However, the district is dominated by its far western portion, comprising the eastern suburbs of Louisville and Northern Kentucky, the Kentucky side of the Cincinnati area. Upcoming Election:
He also founded a startup company based in Massachusetts, where he previously studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He participated in the MIT Solar Car Club, which took second place behind a Swiss team in the Solar and Electric 500. In 1996, his company was reincorporated as SensAble Technologies, Inc., after partner Bill Aulet joined.[11] He raised $32 million of venture capital, employed 70 people, and obtained 24 patents during his time at the company,[16] which he sold in 2003.
Featured Quote: I’ll be live on @FoxBusiness at 8:00 PM Eastern to join @KennedyNation to discuss my lawsuit against Speaker Pelosi’s mask rule hypocrisy.
Current Position: US Representative of KY District 5 since 1981 Affiliation: Republican Former Position: Commonwealth Attorney of Pulaski County and Rockcastle County from 1969 – 1981 Other Positions: House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations District: Located in the heart of Appalachia in Southeastern Kentucky, it represents much of the Eastern Kentucky Coalfield. Within the district are the economic leading cities of Ashland, Pikeville, Prestonsburg, Middlesboro, Hazard, Jackson, Morehead, London, and Somerset. Upcoming Election:
Rogers served in the Kentucky Army National Guard and North Carolina Army National Guard. As a lawyer Rogers was in private practice and was elected to serve as commonwealth’s attorney for Pulaski and Rockcastle counties in Kentucky, an office he held from 1969 to his election to Congress in 1980.
Featured Quote: As we celebrate Independence Day, let us celebrate the men & women who laid the foundation for our freedom & our U.S. Armed Forces who have bravely defended this great nation. As we strive to live in a more perfect union, may God continue to shed his grace on the USA. Happy 4th!
Current Position: US Representative of KY District 6 since 2013 Affiliation: Republican Former Position: Lawyer from 2001 – 2013 District: Based in Central Kentucky, the district contains the cities of Lexington (including its suburbs), Richmond, and Georgetown. Upcoming Election:
He was president of the Federalist Society at UK Law. In 2002, he joined the liability defense service group and the business litigation service group at the Lexington law firm Stites & Harbison.[12] While there, he worked for former Democratic Kentucky Attorney General and future Governor of Kentucky Steve Beshear, who urged him to get involved in state politics.
Other Positions: Ranking Member, Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy
Featured Quote: My joint statement with @RepFrenchHill& @RepHuizengaafter SEC Chairman Gensler directed the SEC to develop climate risk disclosure standards by end of year. Our full statement
As established and defined by the Kentucky Constitution, the government of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is composed of three branches: the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative.[1]
Executive Branch
The executive branch is headed by the governor, who serves as both the head of state and government. The lieutenant governor does not hold execute authority, though one can if he/she is also a member of the cabinet. Under the current Kentucky Constitution, the lieutenant governor assumes the duties of the governor only if the governor is incapacitated and cannot perform the duties of the office. Before 1992, the lieutenant governor took to power any time the governor was out of the state. The governor and lieutenant governor usually run on a single ticket, as per a 1992 constitutional amendment, and are elected to four-year terms. The current governor is Andy Beshear, and the lieutenant governor is Jacqueline Coleman, both of whom are Democrats.[2][3]
The executive branch is, organized into the following “cabinets”, each headed by a secretary who is also a member of the governor’s cabinet:[4]
The cabinet system was introduced in 1972 by Governor Wendell Ford to consolidate hundreds of government entities that reported directly to the governor’s office.[5]
In November 2016, Republicans won control of the house for the first time since 1922, and they currently have supermajorities in both the House and Senate.[7]
Judicial Branch
The judicial branch of Kentucky is called the Kentucky Court of Justice[8] and comprises courts of limited jurisdiction called District Courts; courts of general jurisdiction called Circuit Courts; specialty courts such as Drug Court[9] and Family Court;[10] an intermediate appellate court, the Kentucky Court of Appeals; and a court of last resort, the Kentucky Supreme Court.
The Kentucky Court of Justice is headed by the Chief Justice of the Commonwealth. The chief justice is appointed by and is an elected member of the Supreme Court of Kentucky. The current chief justice is John D. Minton Jr.
Unlike federal judges, who are usually appointed, justices serving on Kentucky state courts are chosen by the electorate in non-partisan elections.
Kentucky’s body of laws, known as the Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS), was enacted in 1942 to better organize and clarify the whole of Kentucky law.[11] The statutes are enforced by local police, sheriffs and deputy sheriffs, and constables and deputy constables. Unless they have completed a police academy elsewhere, these officers must complete Police Officer Professional Standards (POPS) training at the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training Center on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond.[12] In 1948, the Kentucky General Assembly established the Kentucky State Police, making it the 38th state to create a force whose jurisdiction extends throughout the given state.[13]
Kentucky is one of the 32 states in the United States that sanctions the death penalty for certain murders defined as heinous. Those convicted of capital crimes after March 31, 1998, are always executed by lethal injection; those convicted on or before this date may opt for the electric chair.[14] Only three people have been executed in Kentucky since the U.S. Supreme Court re-instituted the practice in 1976. The most notable execution in Kentucky was that of Rainey Bethea on August 14, 1936. Bethea was publicly hanged in Owensboro for the rape and murder of Lischia Edwards.[15] Irregularities with the execution led to this becoming the last public execution in the United States.[16]
Kentucky has also been known to have unusually high political candidacy age laws, especially compared to surrounding states. The origin of this is unknown, but it has been suggested[by whom?] it has to do with the commonwealth tradition.
A 2008 study found Kentucky’s Supreme Court to be the least influential high court in the nation, with its decisions rarely being followed by other states.[19]
Politics in Kentucky has historically been very competitive. The state leaned toward the Democratic Party during the 1860s after the Whig Party dissolved. During the Civil War, the southeastern part of the state aligned with the Union and tended to support Republican candidates thereafter, while the central and western portions remained heavily Democratic even into the following decades. Kentucky would be part of the Democratic Solid South until the mid-20th century.
Since 1952, voters in the Commonwealth supported the three Democratic candidates elected to the White House, all from Southern states: Lyndon B. Johnson from Texas in 1964, Jimmy Carter from Georgia in 1976, and Bill Clinton from Arkansas in 1992 and 1996. But by the 21st century, the state had become a Republican stronghold in federal elections, supporting that party’s presidential candidates by double-digit margins since 2000. At the same time, voters have continued to elect Democratic candidates to state and local offices in many jurisdictions. Mirroring the broader national partisan realignment, Kentucky’s Democratic Party in the 21st century primarily consists of liberal whites, African-Americans, and other racial minorities. As of March 2020, 48.42 percent of the state’s voters were officially registered as Democrats, while 42.75 percent were registered Republicans, whose members tend to be conservative whites. Some 8.83 percent were registered with another political party or as Independents.[21] Despite the Democratic voter registration advantage, the state has elected Republican candidates for federal office routinely since the beginning of the 21st century.
From 1964 through 2004, Kentucky voted for the eventual winner of the Presidential election each time, until losing its bellwether status in the 2008 election. That year Republican John McCain won Kentucky, carrying it 57 percent to 41 percent, but lost the national popular and electoral votes to Democrat Barack Obama. Further hampering Kentucky’s status as a bellwether state, 116 of Kentucky’s 120 counties supported Republican Mitt Romney in the 2012 election, who lost to Barack Obama nationwide.[22][23]
Kentucky is one of the most anti-abortion states in the U.S. A 2014 poll done by the Pew Research Center found that 57 percent of those polled in the state thought that abortion should be illegal in all or most cases, while only 36 percent thought that abortion should be legal in all or most cases.[24]
Voter registration and party enrollment as of June 15, 2021[21]
^Clinger, James C.; Hail, Michael W., eds. (October 8, 2013). Kentucky Government, Politics, and Public Policy. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky. p. 70. ISBN 978-0-8131-4315-6. By 1972 Governor Wendell Ford found himself in a situation similar to that of Governor Chandler thirty-six years earlier. At this time, the executive branch had grown to over 60 departments and agencies and 210 boards and commissions falling under the jurisdiction of the governor. Governor Ford issued a reorganization report creating six cabinet departments and a framework for an executive branch that would be more manageable and accountable. As of 2012, this has grown to eleven cabinet departments, with three additional cabinet-rank members under the office of Governor Steve Beshear. Each cabinet agency is headed by a secretary who serves at the will of the governor.
The Kentucky onAir Hub supports Kentuckians to become more informed about and engaged in local, state, and federal politics while facilitating more civil and positive discussions with their representatives, candidates, and fellow citizens.
Kentucky onAir is one of 50 state governance and elections hubs that the US onAir Network is providing to help reinvigorate US democracy. This post has short summaries of current state and federal representatives with links to their complete Hub posts. Students curate post content from government, campaign, social media, and public websites. Key content on the Kentucky Hub is also replicated on the US onAir nations Hub at: us.onair.cc.
Kentucky students will be forming onAir chapters in their colleges and universities to help curate Hub content. As more students participate and more onAir chapters are started, we will expand to include more state and local content as well as increase the number of aircasts – student-led, livestreamed, online discussions with candidates, representatives, and the public.
Current Position: Governor Affiliation: Democrat Former Position: Attorney General from 2016 – 2019
Andy Beshear is the son of former Governor Steve Beshear. Beshear and Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman are the only Democratic statewide elected officials in Kentucky. In 2005, Beshear was hired by the law firm Stites & Harbison, at which his father was a partner.
Featured Quote: Thank you to @RepJohnYarmuth and leaders across this country for making the American Rescue Plan Act a reality. It will truly help us build a better Kentucky as we emerge from this pandemic and position our commonwealth to lead.
Gov. Andy Beshear – A message to state employees 7.28.2021
The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It comprises the Kentucky Senate and the Kentucky House of Representatives.
The General Assembly meets annually in the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, convening on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January. In even-numbered years, sessions may not last more than 60 legislative days, and cannot extend beyond April 15. In odd-numbered years, sessions may not last more than 30 legislative days, and cannot extend beyond March 30. Special sessions may be called by the Governor of Kentucky at any time for any duration.
Current Position: US Senator since 1985 Affiliation: Republican Candidate: 2022 US Senator Former Position: Judge/Executive of Jefferson County from 1977 – 1984
McConnell has been the leader of the Senate Republican Conference since 2007 and is the longest serving Senate party leader in US history.
Other Positions: Senate Minority Leader
Featured Quote: Get vaccinated! These shots need to get into arms as rapidly as possible, or else we’re gonna be back in a situation this fall like what we went through last year.
Mitch McConnell APPLAUDS bipartisan compromise in remarks on Senate floor
Current Position: US Senator since 2011 Affiliation: Republican Former Position: Opthamalogist from 1983 – 2011 Other Positions: Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship (Ranking Member)
Rand Paul is a son of former three-time presidential candidate and 12-term U.S. representative from Texas, Ron Paul. Paul describes himself as a constitutional conservative and supporter of the Tea Party movement. Paul was a practicing ophthalmologist in Bowling Green, Kentucky, from 1993 until his election to the Senate in 2010.
Featured Quote: 4 million dead and Dr. Fauci still believes we should continue funding of the Wuhan Lab. Extraordinary and unmatched poor judgement that should preclude Dr. Fauci from being anywhere near the reins of power.
‘It’s Time We Reconsider Paving Roads Overseas’: Rand Paul Calls For 10% Reduction In Foreign Aid
The US onAir Network will be working with volunteers from Kentucky universities, colleges, and nonprofit organizations to oversee the curation and moderation of posts, aircasts (online discussions), and in person events for the Kentucky onAir Hub … related to federal, state, and local elections and government.
Our first outreach will be to University of Kentucky partly because of its proximity to the state capital. We have identified many of University of Kentucky’s civic engagement, academic, internship and research programs related to making democracy and civic responsibility a focus of higher learning on their campus … for students, faculty, staff, and local community. This post, over time, will have similar information on other collaborating organizations in the state.
Contact ben.murphy@onair.cc for more information on how to involve your organization.
Kentucky officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Upland South region of the United States, bordered by Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to the east; Tennessee to the south; and Missouri to the west. The bluegrass region in the central part of the commonwealth contains the commonwealth’s capital, Frankfort, as well as its two largest cities, Louisville and Lexington. Together they comprise more than 20% of the commonwealth’s population. Kentucky is the 37th most extensive and the 26th most populous of the 50 United States.