Current:Home > NewsVeteran Kentucky lawmaker Richard Heath, who chaired a House committee, loses in Republican primary -Infinite Edge Capital
Veteran Kentucky lawmaker Richard Heath, who chaired a House committee, loses in Republican primary
View
Date:2025-04-17 07:17:15
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Republican state Rep. Richard Heath, who twice ran for statewide office and was a leading voice on agricultural issues as a committee chairman, lost his reelection bid in Kentucky’s GOP primary.
The veteran lawmaker was among the few incumbents unable to fend off challenges Tuesday.
State Rep. Killian Timoney, a centrist Republican, was defeated by Thomas Jefferson, who outflanked the incumbent with hardline stands on social issues. It was one of several primary clashes pitting different factions within the GOP — the Bluegrass State’s dominant political party.
Republican state Sen. Adrienne Southworth, who had her own clashes with the Senate’s GOP leaders during her first term, lagged behind two challengers in a race that was too early to call.
Other incumbents turned back challenges in what generally was a low-turnout primary.
“I don’t really see any big narrative to draw from yesterday’s elections,” said Republican Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer, who is leaving the Senate at the end of the year after deciding not to seek reelection. “To me, it’s pretty much status quo.”
Republicans will look to maintain or build on their supermajorities in both legislative chambers in the November general election while Democrats hope to capitalize on the popularity of their party’s state leader — Gov. Andy Beshear, who won reelection last year. Republican-held seats in districts carried by Beshear will be a key focus for Democrats as they try to whittle away at the GOP’s dominance.
What to know about the 2024 Election
- Democracy: American democracy has overcome big stress tests since 2020. More challenges lie ahead in 2024.
- AP’s Role: The Associated Press is the most trusted source of information on election night, with a history of accuracy dating to 1848. Learn more.
- Read the latest: Follow AP’s complete coverage of this year’s election.
“Kentucky Democrats are offering a different vision — one that levels the playing field for working families and moves our commonwealth forward — and we will make sure that our candidates are equipped to win,” said Jonathan Levin, communications director for the state Democratic Party.
Republicans have their own standard-bearer in former President Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee this year. It was Trump’s coattails that helped propel Republicans into the majority in the Kentucky House after the 2016 election, consolidating the GOP’s control of the legislature.
Most incumbent lawmakers defeated their challengers in Tuesday’s primary.
One exception was in western Kentucky, where Heath was unseated by Kimberly Holloway in the GOP primary. With no Democrat running in the district, Holloway has a clear path in November.
Heath served for more than a decade in the House and was a key policymaker on rural issues as chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. He ran for state agriculture commissioner twice, losing both times in the primary.
With several races viewed as toss-ups heading into Tuesday’s primary, Heath’s defeat was the only surprise, said Republican strategist Tres Watson.
Timoney, a two-term lawmaker from central Kentucky, was trounced by Jefferson, who was backed by socially conservative groups. Timoney voted against 2023 legislation that banned gender-affirming medical care for transgender young people. Jefferson and groups backing him slammed Timoney for the vote.
“Rep. Timoney bravely stood to protect transgender kids — our most vulnerable youth — and refused to play politics with their lives,” said Chris Hartman, executive director of the Fairness Campaign, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization. “His opponent shamefully and predictably used them as political pawns to score cheap points on election night.”
Jefferson will face Democrat Adam Moore in what looms as a high-profile race in the fall.
Voters settled several hotly contested GOP House primaries in northern Kentucky. Former state Rep. C. Ed Massey lost his comeback bid in his race against T.J. Roberts, who staked out more hard-right stands in his lopsided victory. Roberts will face Democrat Peggy Houston-Nienaber in the November election.
Suburban legislative districts are shaping up as key battlegrounds in the fight for legislative seats.
GOP Rep. Kimberly Poore Moser narrowly defeated challenger Karen Campbell and will face Democrat Heather Crabbe in November in another northern Kentucky district. Moser chairs the House Health Services Committee and championed legislation to improve health care for expectant and new mothers.
Meanwhile, state Sen. Gerald Neal, the top-ranking Senate Democrat, won his primary, defeating former state Rep. Attica Scott and another challenger. No Republican is running in the Louisville district.
Former longtime state Rep. Mary Lou Marzian won the Democratic primary in a Louisville House district. Marzian will face Republican Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell in the general election.
Democratic state Rep. Nima Kulkarni easily outdistanced her primary election challenger in a Louisville district that has no GOP candidate, but the incumbent still faces a legal battle. The Kentucky Supreme Court is set to hear arguments next month over a lawsuit claiming Kulkarni was ineligible to be on the ballot due to a paperwork issue when she filed for reelection.
veryGood! (298)
Related
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- Arizona tribe fights to stop lithium drilling on culturally significant lands
- HISA equine welfare unit probe says University of Kentucky lab did not follow testing guidelines
- Q&A: Near Lake Superior, a Tribe Fights to Remove a Pipeline From the Wetlands It Depends On
- Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
- Volkswagen, Porsche, Mazda among 100,000 vehicles recalled: Check car recalls here
- Ina Garten Reveals Why She Nearly Divorced Jeffrey Garten During Decades-Long Marriage
- Wages, adjusted for inflation, are falling for new hires in sign of slowing job market
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- Sean 'Diddy' Combs arrested in New York following sex trafficking investigation
Ranking
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Volkswagen, Porsche, Mazda among 100,000 vehicles recalled: Check car recalls here
- Is Demi Moore as Obsessed With J.Crew's Barn Jacket as We Are?
- Mother of Colorado supermarket gunman says he is ‘sick’ and denies knowing about plan
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- Webb telescope captures outskirts of Milky Way in 'unprecedented' detail: See photo
- Harry Potter’s Tom Felton Makes Rare Public Appearance With Girlfriend Roxanne Danya in Italy
- Haunting last message: 'All good here.' Coast Guard's Titan submersible hearing begins
Recommendation
Sam Taylor
These Zodiac Signs Will Be Affected the Most During the “Trifecta” Super Eclipse on September 17
A teen inmate is bound over for trial in a Wisconsin youth prison counselor’s death
Pregnant Mandy Moore Says She’s Being Followed Ahead of Baby No. 3’s Birth
Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
Bill Gates calls for more aid to go to Africa and for debt relief for burdened countries
Takeaways from AP’s report on a new abortion clinic in rural southeast Kansas
Tearful Kristin Cavallari Reacts to Her and Jay Cutler's 12-Year-Old Son Getting Tackled in Football Game