KY House Speaker Osborne to take up the gavel for a historic fourth term
Republicans in Kentucky’s House of Representatives will return to session this January with the same slate of leaders, a caucus vote on has determined.
House Speaker David Osborne of Prospect was nominated without opposition by a majority of his Republican peers to take up the gavel for a fourth term during a House Majority Caucus vote in the Capitol Annex on Tuesday.
A Republican serving four terms as speaker is historic and has never happened in Kentucky’s 232-year-history, GOP leadership spokesperson Laura Leigh Goins said in a news release.
Osborne was first elected leader in 2018, succeeding former embattled Speaker Jeff Hoover who resigned from leadership following a sexual harassment scandal. He previously served as Speaker Pro Tempore and has served in the House since 2005.
Osborne in a statement said he was “humbled by the support of this caucus and look forward to continuing in my role.”
“Each of our 80 members represents a district of more than 45,000 Kentuckians,” Osborne continued. “While their needs and priorities may differ from district to district, we are all committed to passing policies that reflect our state’s values and priorities,” he said.
Those priorities include creating jobs and driving economic investment in Kentucky. A priority for the next legislative session, he said, is to continue to work toward eliminating the state income tax by lowering it to 3.5% in 2026.
Speaker Pro Tempore David Meade, R-Stanford, was also reelected for a fourth term. Meade was first elected in 2013 and previously served as Majority Caucus Chair.
Both are constitutional roles and will be voted on by all members of the House once the General Assembly convenes Jan. 7. This step is largely a formality, since Republicans maintain the majority in both chambers.
House Republicans also reelected Majority Floor Leader Steven Rudy of Paducah, House Caucus Chair Suzanne Miles of Owensboro, and Majority Whip Jason Nemes. Rudy was first elected floor leader in 2021, Miles has been caucus chair since 2018, and Nemes was named majority whip in 2022.
The deliberation and voting process of choosing internal leadership is private, as is the nomination process. Unless sitting lawmakers publicly disclose that they are vying for a leadership role, that information is confidential. Only the results of the nomination votes are public.
Rep. Josh Calloway, R-Irvington, announced Nov. 9 his candidacy for Speaker Pro Tempore to replace Meade.
His goal, Calloway posted to X, would’ve been to “bring a strong conservative perspective to the direction of our caucus, reform our rules to empower members, and ensure each voice is heard in representing their districts.”
This story may be updated.
