Public Policy Update: 2024 General Election Recap

With all eyes on the Presidential election results, multiple federal, state, and local elections took place in the 9-county, Greater LEX region on Tuesday. Total voter turnout in Kentucky reached nearly 59%, with 792,000 Kentuckians taking part in early voting, a record-high number.

​SIXTH DISTRICT CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT:
Starting with Kentucky’s Sixth Congressional District, incumbent U.S. Representative Andy Barr won re-election by defeating Democratic challenger Randy Cravens 63.4% to 36.6% of the vote. As of today, the U.S. House of Representatives majority remains unknown as races are too close to call in the suburbs of California and across the country.

STATEWIDE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS:
Statewide, two Constitutional amendments were present on the ballot. Amendment 1 prohibits non-citizens from voting in local and state elections. This amendment passed 62.4 to 37.6%. Amendment 2 would have allowed the Kentucky General Assembly the ability to debate whether public education funding could be available to non-public education initiatives and institutions. This amendment was defeated 64.8 to 35.2%. 

KENTUCKY SUPREME COURT:
The Kentucky Supreme Court also had a race in District 5 to replace retiring Chief Justice Laurance B. VanMeter. Court of Appeals Judge Pamela R. Goodwine defeated Erin Izzo 76.8 to 23.2% to become Kentucky’s first African American female Supreme Court Justice.

KENTUCKY LEGISLATIVE SEATS:
Moving to the Kentucky House, Republicans will retain their 80-20 supermajority while the Kentucky Senate holds its supermajority with at least 30 seats out of the total 38. Highlighting some key regional races, House Minority Caucus Chair Representative Cherlynn Stevenson, representing Kentucky’s 88th District, lost to Republican challenger Vanessa Grossl. As of Thursday morning, with 96% of votes counted, Grossl leads with 11,602 votes over Stevenson’s 11,388 votes. In a close race in the 45th District, where Republican Representative Killian Timoney lost his primary election to challenger Thomas Jefferson, Democrat Adam Moore won the election by 131 votes, 12,777 to 12,646. If the margin of votes is within 0.5%, state law allows for a recount of votes.

Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region will see more new faces in the General Assembly beginning in January 2025. Republican Matt Nunn defeated his opponent Kiana Fields to replace retiring Kentucky Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer in Senate District 17. This District encompasses Scott, Grant, and parts of Fayette and Kenton counties. Another new member of the General Assembly representing Scott County, Republican Tony Hampton, beat his Democrat opponent Kevin Kidwell and will replace Representative Phillip Pratt, who did not seek re-election this year. The majority of state legislative seats around the Greater LEX region remained unchanged as many incumbents were re-elected to new terms by either defeating their challengers or running unopposed.

IN LEXINGTON:
In Lexington-Fayette, the Park Fund Tax passed 60.9-39.1%. It will establish an ad valorem tax for public parks in the city. Like many surrounding city councils, new and incumbent Urban County Council members will begin new terms in 2025. Key Council races saw the defeat of two incumbents and election of five new members.

• District 1: Tyler Morton defeated incumbent Tayna Fogle 58.5% to 41.5%.
• District 4: Emma Lee Curtis defeated incumbent Brenda Monarrez 51.8% to 48.2%.
• District 7: Joseph Hale defeated Heather A. Hadi in an open seat 54.5% to 45.5%.
• District 8: Amy Beasley will be a new member of the Urban County Council, as she had no challenger in the race.
• District 12: Hilary Boone defeated Chad T. Walker in an open seat 63.8% to 36.2%.

Notably, Councilmember Liz Sheehan defeated Meredith Price in a contested race in District 5, 60.5-39.5% , to continue with another two-year term. In addition to the Urban County Council races, Amy Green retained her position on the Fayette County Board of Education in Division 5 but incumbent Marilyn Clark was defeated in Division 1 by Monica Mundy. Newcomer K. Penny Christian will be the new Board member for Division 3.

LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ACROSS THE REGION:
Shifting to local governments in Greater LEX, the majority of city council races remained unchanged with many incumbents winning re-election. New city commissioners will be taking office on the Paris, Winchester, Frankfort, Nicholasville, Berea, Mt. Sterling, Georgetown, and Versailles City Councils. In addition, many cities and counties in the Bluegrass Region voted to approve medical cannabis sales, including Bourbon, Clark, Scott, and Woodford.

MORE INFORMATION:
To review additional details and specifics regarding Greater LEX’s election results from Presidential to local elections, please review MORE HERE. As newly elected and re-elected officials prepare for new terms starting in 2025, the Public Policy team at Commerce Lexington will strategically engage at all levels of government to continue advocating for the business community and making Greater LEX a better place to live and work.  ​