Pam Stevenson heads new leadership slate for Kentucky House Democrats
House Democrats elected a new slate of legislative leaders Thursday, including a representative who will become the first Black woman caucus leader in the commonwealth’s history.
All 19 members of the House Democratic caucus selected Louisville Rep. Pamela Stevenson to become the new minority floor leader, the highest-ranking post for Democrats in the House.
Louisville Democrat Rep. Al Gentry will join her as minority caucus chair and Lexington Rep. Lindsey Burke will serve as the minority whip.
Stevenson is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel who spent 27 years as a Judge Advocate General and is now a private attorney. She is the first Black woman, and second woman overall, to lead a legislative caucus in the Kentucky General Assembly.
“I want to thank my fellow caucus members for their support and look forward to working with them, Gov. Andy Beshear and our legislative colleagues across the aisle,” Stevenson said in a Thursday evening news release.
“We may be a new leadership team, but we are as committed as ever to pursuing our timeless goals of building on the commonwealth’s many successes while better ensuring that all citizens are able to enjoy that prosperity.”
Stevenson fell short in last year’s race for attorney general, losing to GOP Attorney General Russell Coleman by 16 percentage points, 58-42.
She became widely known in Kentucky and the country over the past few legislative sessions for her fiery floor speeches denouncing Republican legislation. Many of them went viral on video-based social media platforms such as TikTok.
Stevenson has served House District 43, which covers parts of downtown and West Louisville, since winning election in 2020. She will replace longtime Rep. Derrick Graham, D-Frankfort, as leader.
Gentry is best known for his work to push through the legalization of medical marijuana, an effort that took several years but made it over the finish line in the form of Senate Bill 47 in 2023. He replaces Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson, D-Lexington, as caucus chair.
“I have been proud to be part of this caucus for the last eight years, and it means a lot to be selected for this new role,” Gentry said in Thursday’s release. “Our legislative priorities have significant public support, from raising the minimum wage to providing significantly more funding for public education.
Burke, the lone Lexington member of leadership, is relatively new to the legislature but has made her mark in a short time.
An attorney and social worker, she replaced former state representative Kelly Flood. Her House District 75 covers much of West Lexington, including the majority of the area within New Circle Road between Leestown and Nicholasville roads.
“I have dedicated most of my life to helping others, and it means so much that I now have a chance to step up and take on this important responsibility,” Burke said.
Burke will take the role from Rep. Rachel Roberts, D-Newport, who did not run for reelection this year.
The Democrats, since losing the majority in the House in 2016, have been on the outside looking in when it comes to the passage of legislation.
Democrats lost a significant amount of what sway they had left in 2020 when their number of representatives went from 38 to 25, and that number dropped again, to 20, in 2022.
This year, during the general election, they lost one incumbent and flipped one previously Republican seat in Lexington-centric districts.
The incumbent loss threw the caucus for a loop. Outgoing caucus chair Cherlynn Stevenson was the only member of leadership running for reelection this year. However, she was defeated narrowly in her politically “purple” 88th House District by GOP candidate Vanessa Grossl.
The Democratic candidate won the Fayette County portion of that district, but Grossl won the parts of the district in Scott County by a wider margin.
The House Democratic caucus numbers 19 to the Republicans 80, because Democratic Rep. Daniel Grossberg, D-Louisville, was expelled from the caucus in a unanimous vote, according to a Democratic lawmaker present at the time, and urged to resign by the state’s highest-ranking Democrats after Herald-Leader reporting on his behavior towards women.
Grossberg has not resigned.
This story was originally published November 21, 2024 at 6:41 PM.
