House Republican Leadership Announced

After a two-hour caucus meeting this afternoon, the House Republican Caucus announced their new leadership team for the 2017 General Assembly. 

Speaker-Elect Jeff Hoover

Speaker Pro-Tem-Elect David Osborne

Majority Floor Leader Jonathan Shell

Majority Whip Kevin Bratcher

Majority Caucus Chairman David Meade

The House Republican Caucus will have a retreat on December 7-9 in Bowling Green where it is expected they will announce committee chairs and committee rosters.

Happy Thanksgiving!

KY Election Update

KY Election Update -- House Goes Republican

Voters cast their ballots today in Kentucky today for the Federal offices like President and U.S. Senate, but more importantly to determine the partisan control of the State House. Democrats held the House 53-47 heading into election day and were trying to hold on to the only Democrat-controlled legislative body in the South. Republicans, who control both the Governor's Mansion and State Senate, were looking to flip party control and hold all three policy making bodies in Kentucky. 

The unofficial results are below and winners are bolded.

State Election Results**

House Races

The Republicans now control the House and hold a 64-36 seat majority in the House. This is a net gain of 17 seats for Republicans, which is the largest swing in recent memory and much larger than anything anybody predicted. Obviously, there will be a lot of new faces in the State House in 2017, with 28 new members (23 Republicans and 5 Democrats) elected this cycle. 

House Minority Floor Leader Jeff Hoover (R-Jamestown) was introduced to the GOP party faithful as the presumptive Speaker of the House in January. He takes over from Speaker Greg Stumbo (D) who was defeated in his House district tonight as well. 

Here is a rundown of the incumbents who lost and the new members of the House:

Incumbents who lost: (17 Democrats & 1 Republican)

Hubie Collins (D) by William Wells (R) 

Fitz Steele (D) by Chris Fugate (R)

Greg Stumbo (D) by Larry Brown (R)

Rita Smart (D) by Wesley Morgan (R)

John Short (D) by John Blanton (R)

Terry Mills (D) by William Reed (R)

Lew Nicholls (D) by Danny Bentley (R)

Tom McKee (D) by Mark Hart (R)

Cluster Howard (D) by Toby Herald (R)

Brent Yonts (D) by Melinda Prunty (R)

Tommy Thompson (D) by Matt Castlen (R)

Denny Butler (R) by Mackenzie Cantrell (D)

Martha Jane King (D) by Jason Petrie (R) 

Jim Glenn (D) by DJ Johnson (R)

Jeffrey Taylor (D) by Walker Thomas (R)

Linda Belcher (D) by Dan Johnson (R)

Chuck Tackett (D) by Philip Pratt (R)

David Watkins (D) by Robert Mills (R)

Winners of Open Seats or Primaries without contested General Elections:

Jason Nemes (R) vs Rob Walker (D) (Incumbent Crimm (R) beat in Primary)

Angie Hatton (D) vs Frank Justice (R) (Created by Combs (D) retirement)

John Sims (D) vs John VanMeter (R) (Created by Denham (D) retirement)

Kim Moser (R) vs Lucas Deaton (D) (Created by Kerr (R) retirement)

Chad McCoy (R) vs James DeWeese (D) (Created by Floyd (R) retirement)

Ken Fleming (R) vs Maria Sorolis (D) (Created by DeWeese (R) retirement) 

Alan Gentry (D) vs Eric Crump (D) (Created by Clark (D) retirement)

Attica Scott (D) ran unopposed after winning a primary over Riner (D)

Steve Riley (R) vs Danny Basil (D) (Created by Bell (D) retirement)

Rob Rothenberger (R) vs Cyndi Skellie (D) (Created by Montell (R) retirement)

Senate Races

Of the 19 seats up for election this cycle only 6 were contested and only one didn't feature an incumbent. At the end of the day, all 5 incumbents were returned to Frankfort and the open seat due to the retirement of Sen. Carroll Gibson (R) was won by Stephen Meredith (R) keeping the partisan balance the same 27 Republicans and 11 Democrats. The unofficial results are:

Damon Thayer (R) vs Charlie Hoffman (D)

Gerald Neal (D) vs Sherita Rickman (R)

Steve West (R) vs Charles Linville (D)

Albert Robinson (R) vs Janice Odom (D)

Morgan McGarvey (D) vs Larry West (R)

Stephen Meredith (R) vs Leslie Stith (D) (Open Seat created by Gibson (R) retirement) 

In addition, Rick Girdler (R) ran unopposed after winning the GOP primary in May to replace the retiring Chris Girdler (R).

Supreme Court

There was one contested seat on the state Supreme Court that was an open seat created by the retirement of Central KY Justice Mary Noble. The nonpartisan candidates were Glenn Acree and Larry VanMeter, who both serve on the Court of Appeals.

VanMeter defeated Acree 75%-25%

Federal Election Results**

President

Not surprisingly, Donald Trump (R) won Kentucky's 8 electoral votes by a large margin over Hillary Clinton (D).

KY - Trump (R) 63%

Clinton (D) 33%

U.S. Senate

Senator Paul won a second term in the U.S. Senate dispatching Lexington Mayor Jim Gray.

KY - Paul (R) 57%

Gray 43%

Congressional Races

In 5 of 6 Kentucky districts, voters returned the current incumbents, 4 Republicans and 1 Democrat, to Washington for an additional term. In the 1st Congressional District, Jamie Comer won an open seat created by the retirement of Ed Whitfield (R).

1st - Comer (R) - 73%

Gaskins (D) - 27%

2nd - Guthrie (R) - Unopposed

3rd - Yarmuth (D) - 63%

Bratcher (R) - 37%

4th - Massie (R) - 71%

Sidle (D) - 29%

5th - Rogers (R) - Unopposed

6th - Barr (R) - 61%

Kemper (D) - 39%

**All election results above are unofficial and based on publicly reported vote tallies.

We will have more analysis in the days ahead. 

GOV. BEVIN DELIVERS PLAN TO STRENGTHEN KENTUCKY’S FINANCIAL FOUNDATION

Commonwealth of Kentucky Office of the Governor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	Contact:	Jessica Ditto 502.564.2611

GOV. BEVIN DELIVERS PLAN TO STRENGTHEN KENTUCKY'S FINANCIAL FOUNDATION

Budget proposal reduces debt and puts critical investment in high-tech job training, front-line workers

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Jan. 26, 2016) – Tonight, in his first State of the Commonwealth Address, Governor Matt Bevin asked all Kentuckians and members of the General Assembly to stand united in improving the financial condition of the state.

"We have the ability to come together to make this state the best version of itself," said Gov. Bevin. "We are going to tap into the existing talent and skills of our state workers, and take care of those who protect the Commonwealth. However, we cannot move forward unless we address the crippling debt that is facing this state. We have got to focus on getting our financial house in order."

In his speech, Governor Bevin presented the Fiscal Year ("FY") 2017-18 Executive Budget proposal, which calls for an honest analysis of Kentucky's current financial situation and puts the state on a path to long-term fiscal stability.

Bevin continued, "This budget is a common sense effort to begin dealing with our pension obligations while also investing in critically important areas to better serve all Kentuckians. We have to tighten our belts in order to begin paying down the billions of unfunded liabilities. We must stop putting it on the backs of future generations."

Kentucky's two biggest financial challenges are the tens of billions in unfunded pension liabilities and the runaway costs of Medicaid. Modest increases in revenue projections are not keeping up with huge increases in demands upon the Commonwealth's General Fund. After years of kicking the can down the road, these unfunded liabilities are crowding out necessary investments in education, public safety, and vital social services for Kentucky's most vulnerable citizens.

Without decisive action addressing these issues, critical priorities like protecting the basic funding for schools, fulfilling the commitment to fighting the heroin scourge and substance abuse, and investing in workforce training to meet the demands of Kentucky's job creators will be sacrificed.

Governor Bevin's Budget Proposal adequately funds needed state services and will lead to more jobs, better educational opportunities, and better access to quality healthcare for all Kentuckians. 

The budget rejects the call for higher taxes on Kentuckians and the idea that the solution to the Commonwealth's debt problem is to take on billions of dollars in pension obligation bond debt. It fulfills Governor Bevin's commitment to the taxpayers to be better stewards of the money they send to Frankfort.

The Governor's Budget Proposal is downloadable at www.osbd.ky.gov and video of the 2016 State of the Commonwealth Budget Address is available on www.ket.org.

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Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at 

Government Strategies!