CITIZEN: Kentucky voters give general assembly mandate to enact pro-family policies

President-elect Trump’s popularity in Kentucky delivered him a 30-point victory for Kentucky’s eight electoral votes. However, his impact on Kentucky did not stop there. His results at the top of the ticket trickled down to the General Assembly, where Republicans maintained their supermajorities in both legislative chambers. These electoral results further emphasize the voters’ rejection of far-left ideologies, like gender ideology and DEI.

In the State House, Republicans maintained their 80-20 supermajority, though two seats did switch partisan hands. Republican Vanessa Grossl defeated Democrat Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson in the 88th district, flipping that seat to the Republicans. On the other side of the partisan divide, Democrat Adam Moore defeated Republican Thomas Jefferson in the 45th district, flipping the seat to the Democrats. Jefferson previously defeated Republican Rep. Killian Timoney, the lowest scoring Republican on our TFFKY legislative scorecard, in the May primary election. Notably, Jefferson was the subject of several misleading attacks from the pro-gambling crowd in the lead up to the election. Meanwhile, the Republican Party of Kentucky provided zero assistance to Jefferson’s campaign during this close race.

One of the most exciting additions to the House Republican Caucus is TJ Roberts. Representative-elect Roberts is an attorney in northern KY. He notably made national news when he challenged Beshear’s church ban in court during the 2020 lockdowns. Roberts also has a history of lobbying for pro-family legislation, like Kentucky’s Campus Free Speech Act, and will be taking over for pro-family Rep. Steve Rawlings, who scored a 100% on our TFFKY legislative scorecard. When we asked Roberts what he is most looking forward to in the House, he stated, “I look forward to fighting for the faith, family, and freedoms of people in Kentucky.” Roberts also stated that his top three priorities for this session are a taxpayer Bill of Rights, expanding Kentucky’s anti-corruption laws, and strengthening protections for civil liberties, especially religious liberty. We look forward to working with Rep. Roberts to enact strong pro-family policies.

In the State Senate, Republicans maintained their 31-7 supermajority. Unlike in the House, there were no seat changes. Two of the notable new members of the Senate Republican Caucus are Steve Rawlings and Aaron Reed. Senator-elect Rawlings previously served in the House. He is taking over for pro-family Sen. John Schickel, who is retiring after a long career of public service. Senator-elect Reed is a veteran and gun shop owner. He is taking over for pro-family Sen. Adrienne Southworth. When asked about his legislative priorities, Rawlings listed “protecting religious liberty and medical conscious rights, fighting back against overreach from the federal government, and supporting certificate of need reform to ensure citizens have adequate access to healthcare services.” We look forward to working with Sen. Rawlings and Sen. Reed to enact strong pro-family policies.

Despite Trump’s success in Kentucky, not all elections had pro-family results. Liberal Judge Pamala Goodwine overwhelmingly won her race for the Kentucky Supreme Court against conservative Erin Izzo. Based on the outcome of this race, the far-left ACLU has already filed a pro-abortion lawsuit against Kentucky’s pro-life laws (see below).

Additionally, Amendment 2 failed to reach the necessary majority for ratification by the voters. This defeat comes after public school administrators spread false information about Amendment 2 and blatantly broke the law by using taxpayer resources to campaign against the amendment. Despite this disappointing result, The Family Foundation remains committed to fighting for greater educational opportunities for Kentucky families and students. Kentucky’s one-size-fits-all education system is failing many students and families, and an essential part of improving our education system is by providing increased freedom and choice for Kentuckians.