Current:Home > MarketsLongtime Kentucky lawmaker Kevin Bratcher announces plans to seek a metro council seat in Louisville -Wealth Axis Pro
Longtime Kentucky lawmaker Kevin Bratcher announces plans to seek a metro council seat in Louisville
View
Date:2025-04-12 14:40:54
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky state Rep. Kevin Bratcher announced his plans Thursday to run for a Louisville Metro Council seat next year, which would culminate a long statehouse career that put the Republican lawmaker at the forefront of school safety, juvenile justice and a host of other issues.
Bratcher has been a fixture in the Kentucky House since 1997. He was part of House leadership as majority party whip when Republicans took control of the chamber in the 2017 session, following a tidal wave of GOP victories statewide in the 2016 election. That completed the GOP’s control of the Kentucky legislature, since the party already was in charge of the Senate. Bratcher is now chairman of a House committee that wields jurisdiction over election legislation and proposed constitutional amendments.
Bratcher becomes the second Louisville-area lawmaker within days to pass up a House reelection run to instead seek a metro council seat in 2024. Democratic state Rep. Josie Raymond announced similar plans to run for metro council in another district. Bratcher referred to it as “a heck of a coincidence.”
Bratcher’s House district covers parts of Jefferson County, including Fern Creek. He said Thursday that he sees the move as a “good fit” for him.
“The older I get, the more interested I’m getting into local issues, just trying to make Fern Creek and the city of Louisville a better place to live,” Bratcher said in a phone interview. “And I think I can do a lot in this spot if the voters will allow me.”
In a statement, Kentucky House Speaker David Osborne said Bratcher will be missed, praising his colleague’s work on such issues as juvenile justice and public education.
“While Kevin Bratcher has never been one to seek the spotlight or attention, without a doubt his legislative career has been one of the most consequential and positive for Louisville and Jefferson County,” Osborne said.
Bratcher helped spearhead measures designed to strengthen school safety and to improve the state’s troubled juvenile justice system. The House committee he leads could garner considerable attention during next year’s session if it takes up a possible constitutional amendment dealing with school choice issues.
Bratcher’s announcement comes as Republicans and Democrats recruit candidates for next year’s legislative races. The GOP holds supermajorities in both legislative chambers.
Another lawmaker who announced recently that he won’t seek reelection next year is Republican state Rep. Danny Bentley, who represents a district in northeastern Kentucky. Bentley was a driving force behind legislation meant to help shore up the finances of rural hospitals and to make insulin more affordable for patients. He chairs the House budget subcommittee on Health and Family Services.
veryGood! (8876)
Related
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- Teen arrested after 4 children, 2 adults found dead at house in Canada: Tragic and complex investigation
- CIA director returns to Middle East to push for hostage, cease-fire deal between Hamas and Israel
- How to watch Caitlin Clark, No. 2 Iowa play Michigan in Big Ten Tournament semifinal
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- New York City Ready to Expand Greenways Along Rivers, Railways and Parks
- Queer Eye's Tan France Responds to Accusations He Had Bobby Berk Fired From Show
- Facing historic shifts, Latin American women to bathe streets in purple on International Women’s Day
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- Unpacking the Kate Middleton Conspiracy Theories Amid a Tangle of Royal News
Ranking
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Deal Alert: Get 25% Off Celeb-Loved Kiehl’s Skincare Products in Their Exclusive Friends & Family Sale
- Wisconsin family rescues 'lonely' runaway pig named Kevin Bacon, lures him home with Oreos
- The Challenge’s Nelson Thomas Gets Right Foot Amputated After Near-Fatal Car Crash
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- Feds detail ex-Jaguars employee Amit Patel's spending on 'life of luxury'
- Spanish utility Iberdrola offers to buy remaining shares to take 100% ownership of Avangrid
- New York Attorney General Letitia James sued over action against trans sports ban
Recommendation
This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
Lawsuit accuses Portland police officer of fatally shooting unarmed Black man in the back
Man accused of firing gun from scaffolding during Jan. 6 Capitol riot arrested
Horoscopes Today, March 8, 2024
Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
Summer House Star Paige DeSorbo Influenced Me To Buy These 52 Products
Alabama woman set for a plea hearing months after police say she faked her own kidnapping
Labor market tops expectations again: 275,000 jobs added in February