# Kentucky Senate

The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky senators. The Kentucky Senate meets at the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort annually beginning in January. Sessions last for 60 legislative days in even-numbered years and 30 legislative days in odd-numbered years.
Republicans have had control of the Senate since 1999. They currently hold 31 seats to Democrats' 7.

## Terms and qualifications

According to Section 32 of the Kentucky Constitution, a senator must:
* be at least 30 years old;
* be a citizen of Kentucky;
* have resided in the state at least six years and the district at least one year prior to election.
Per section 30 of the Kentucky Constitution, senators are elected to four year staggered terms, with half the Senate elected every two years.

## Leadership

Prior to a 1992 constitutional amendment, the Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky presided over the Senate; the 1992 amendment created a new office of President of the Senate to be held by one of the 38 senators.

### Leaders

* President (elected by full body): Robert Stivers (R-25)
* President pro tempore (elected by full body): David P. Givens (R-9)
Additionally, each political party elects a floor leader, whip, and caucus chairman.
Current party leadership of the Kentucky Senate:
* Republican Party
** Leader: Max Wise (R-16)
** Whip: Mike Wilson (R-32)
** Caucus chair: Robby Mills (R-4)
* Democratic Party
** Leader: Gerald Neal (D-33)
** Whip: David Yates (D-37)
** Caucus chair: Reggie Thomas (D-13)

## Members

| Session | Party(Shading indicates majority caucus) | Party(Shading indicates majority caucus) | Total | |
| Session | Republican | Democratic | Total | Vacant |
| 2015 session | 26 | 11 | 37 | 1 |
| 2016 session | 27 | 11 | 38 | 0 |
| 2017–2018 sessions | 27 | 11 | 38 | 0 |
| 2019 session | 28 | 9 | 37 | 1 |
| 2020 session | 29 | 9 | 38 | 0 |
| 2021–2022 sessions | 30 | 8 | 38 | 0 |
| 2023 session | 30 | 6 | 36 | 2 |
| 2024 session | 31 | 7 | 38 | 0 |
| Begin 2025 session | 31 | 7 | 38 | 0 |
| Latest voting share | 82% | 18% | | |

### List of current senators

| District | Name | Party | First elected | Residence | Counties represented |
| 1 | Jason Howell | Republican | 2020 | Murray | Calloway, Crittenden, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Lyon, Trigg |
| 2 | Danny Carroll | Republican | 2014 | Benton | Ballard, Carlisle, Livingston, Marshall, McCracken |
| 3 | Craig Richardson | Republican | 2024 | Hopkinsville | Caldwell, Christian, Muhlenberg |
| 4 | Robby Mills | Republican | 2018 | Henderson | Henderson, Hopkins, Union, Webster |
| 5 | Stephen Meredith | Republican | 2016 | Leitchfield | Breckinridge, Butler, Grayson, Meade, Ohio |
| 6 | Lindsey Tichenor | Republican | 2022 | Smithfield | Jefferson (Part), Oldham, Trimble |
| 7 | Aaron Reed | Republican | 2024 | Shelbyville | Anderson, Henry, Jefferson (Part), Shelby |
| 8 | Gary Boswell | Republican | 2022 | Owensboro | Daviess, Hancock, McLean |
| 9 | David P. Givens | Republican | 2008 | Greensburg | Barren, Edmondson, Green, Hart, Warren (Part) |
| 10 | Matthew Deneen | Republican | 2022 | Elizabethtown | Hardin, Jefferson (Part) |
| 11 | Steve Rawlings | Republican | 2024 | Burlington | Boone (Part) |
| 12 | Amanda Mays Bledsoe | Republican | 2022 | Lexington | Boyle, Fayette (Part), Mercer, Woodford |
| 13 | Reginald Thomas | Democratic | 2013 | Lexington | Fayette (Part) |
| 14 | Jimmy Higdon | Republican | 2009 | Lebanon | Larue, Marion, Nelson, Spencer, Washington |
| 15 | Rick Girdler | Republican | 2016 | Somerset | Clinton, Cumberland, Pulaski, Russell, Wayne |
| 16 | Max Wise | Republican | 2014 | Campbellsville | Adair, Allen, Metcalfe, Monroe, Taylor, Warren (Part) |
| 17 | Matt Nunn | Republican | 2024 | Sadieville | Fayette (Part), Grant, Kenton (Part), Scott |
| 18 | Robin L. Webb | Democratic | 2009 | Grayson | Boyd, Carter, Greenup, Lewis |
| 19 | Cassie Chambers Armstrong | Democratic | 2023 | Louisville | Jefferson (Part) |
| 20 | Gex Williams | Republican | 2022 | Verona | Boone (Part), Carroll, Franklin, Gallatin, Kenton (Part), Owen |
| 21 | Brandon J. Storm | Republican | 2020 | London | Casey, Laurel, Lincoln, Rockcastle |
| 22 | Donald Douglas | Republican | 2021 | Nicholasville | Fayette (Part), Garrard, Jessamine |
| 23 | Christian McDaniel | Republican | 2012 | Ryland Heights | Kenton (Part) |
| 24 | Shelley Funke Frommeyer | Republican | 2022 | Alexandria | Bracken, Campbell, Kenton (Part), Pendleton |
| 25 | Robert Stivers | Republican | 1996 | Manchester | Clay, Jackson, Knox, McCreary, Owsley, Whitley |
| 26 | Karen Berg | Democratic | 2020 | Louisville | Jefferson (Part) |
| 27 | Stephen West | Republican | 2015 | Paris | Bourbon, Fayette (Part), Fleming, Harrison, Mason, Nicholas, Robertson, Rowan |
| 28 | Greg Elkins | Republican | 2023 | Winchester | Bath, Clark, Fayette (Part), Menifee, Montgomery |
| 29 | Scott Madon | Republican | 2024 | Pineville | Bell, Floyd, Harlan, Knott, Letcher |
| 30 | Brandon Smith | Republican | 2008 | Hazard | Breathitt, Estill, Lee, Leslie, Magoffin, Morgan, Perry, Powell, Wolfe |
| 31 | Phillip Wheeler | Republican | 2019 | Pikeville | Elliott, Johnson, Lawrence, Martin, Pike |
| 32 | Mike Wilson | Republican | 2010 | Bowling Green | Logan, Simpson, Todd, Warren (Part) |
| 33 | Gerald A. Neal | Democratic | 1988 | Louisville | Jefferson (Part) |
| 34 | Jared Carpenter | Republican | 2010 | Berea | Fayette (Part), Madison |
| 35 | Keturah Herron | Democratic | 2024 | Louisville | Jefferson (Part) |
| 36 | Julie Raque Adams | Republican | 2014 | Louisville | Jefferson (Part) |
| 37 | David Yates | Democratic | 2020 | Louisville | Jefferson (Part) |
| 38 | Michael J. Nemes | Republican | 2020 | Shepherdsville | Bullitt, Jefferson (Part) |

### Seating chart

| | Meredith | Nemes | Smith | | Carpenter | Raque Adams | Girdler | |
| Howell | Douglas | Boswell | Wilson | | Deneen | Elkins | West | Williams |
| McDaniel | Wheeler | Carroll | Mills | | Mays Bledsoe | Madon | Tichenor | Storm |
| Higdon | Reed | Nunn | Wise | | Neal | Yates | Thomas | Richardson |
| Stivers | Givens | Rawlings | Funke Frommeyer | | Herron | Berg | Chambers Armstrong | Webb |
| | | | President Stivers | President Stivers | President Stivers | | | |

## 2023 special elections

* On February 21, 2023, a special election was held to fill the vacant 19th district Senate seat left by Morgan McGarvey. The seat opened up after McGarvey ran and won the U.S. House seat in Kentucky's 3rd congressional district. Democratic candidate Cassie Chambers Armstrong defeated Republican candidate Misty Glin to become Senator.
* On May 16, 2023, a special election was held to fill the vacant 28th district Senate seat left by Ralph Alvarado. The seat opened up after Alvarado was appointed the 15th Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health. The candidates were Greg Elkins (R) of Winchester, Robert Sainte (D) of Winchester, and former Kentucky State Representative Richard Henderson (I) of Mt. Sterling. Republican candidate Greg Elkins defeated Sainte and Henderson to become Senator.

## History

Carolyn Conn Moore became the first woman to serve in the Kentucky Senate when in November 1949 she won a special election to replace her husband, J. Lee Moore, in the legislature after his death. Georgia Davis Powers became the first person of color to be elected to the Kentucky Senate in 1967. Gerald Neal became the first African American ever to be elected to a leadership position in the Kentucky General Assembly in 2014. Ralph Alvarado became the first Hispanic to serve in the Kentucky General Assembly when he was elected in 2014.

## Standing committees

| Committee | Chair | Vice Chair |
| Agriculture | Jason Howell | Gary Boswell |
| Appropriations and Revenue | Christian McDaniel | Amanda Mays Bledsoe |
| Banking and Insurance | Jared Carpenter | Rick Girdler |
| Committee on Committees | Robert Stivers | none |
| Economic Development, Tourism, and Labor | Phillip Wheeler | Shelley Funke Frommeyer |
| Education | Stephen West | Lindsey Tichenor |
| Enrollment | Matt Nunn | none |
| Families and Children | Danny Carroll | Amanda Mays Bledsoe |
| Health and Services | Stephen Meredith | Craig Richardson |
| Judiciary | Brandon J. Storm | Phillip Wheeler |
| Licensing and Occupations | Julie Raque Adams | Jason Howell |
| Natural Resources and Energy | Brandon Smith | Gex Williams |
| Rules | Robert Stivers | none |
| State and Local Government | Michael J. Nemes | Greg Elkins |
| Transportation | Jimmy Higdon | Donald Douglas |
| Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection | Matthew Deneen | Aaron Reed |