The Republican Party of Kentucky is the affiliate of the Republican Party in Kentucky and follows its nationally established platform. The party's headquarters is in Frankfort, Kentucky.

The party gained relevance around the 1940s, though Kentucky was still part of the Solid South at the time. Since this emergence, the party did poorly in state executive office elections until 2015 but saw some success on the federal level and in the Kentucky General Assembly. The party is organized into two main committees that hold authority. In the 2015 Kentucky elections, the party captured the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer, and Auditor, gaining the majority of the state executive offices for the first time in modern history. In 2016, Republicans gained control of the state house for the first time since 1920.

It is currently the dominant party in the state, controlling all but one of Kentucky's six U.S. House seats, both U.S. Senate seats, and has supermajorities in both houses of the state legislature. The only two statewide offices that the party does not currently control are the governorship and the lieutenant governorship, which are currently held by Democrats Andy Beshear and Jacqueline Coleman respectively. In 2022, Republicans overtook Democrats in voter registration.

History Emergence and relevancy Cassius Marcellus Clay and John Gregg Fee organized the Republicans in Madison County, Kentucky. Clay was selected as Kentucky's member of the Republican National Committee.

After the times of the Solid South, Kentucky has a unique Republican history. Although it is a traditionally Democratic Southern state, the Republican Party of Kentucky became more relevant in Kentucky political affairs around the 1940s and 1950s.The Life and Death of the Solid South: A Political History / Dewey W. Grantham Although candidates in presidential and congressional races began to fare well and see success in elections around this time, it did not translate to much success on the state and local levels.Political Parties and Primaries in Kentucky / Penny Miller, Malcolm E. Jewell. Despite receiving measurable numbers of votes and being competitive in elections, many of the candidates for gubernatorial and legislative races consistently failed to get elected into office.

Struggles Despite becoming consistently competitive in state elections, the party's strength in the 1970s and 1980s was comparable to that of the 1930s and 1940s. Between the time of the emergence of the Republican Party of Kentucky and the 1980s, the only Republican governor elected to office was Louie B. Nunn in 1967.Kentucky Politics and Government: Do we Stand United? / Penny Miller. This is considered one of the few high points for the party. Problems within the party organization contributed greatly to these struggles. Part of it is due to the turnover at the state party chairman position throughout the 1970s, which hindered any consistency and progress within the party organization. While in the 1980s, however, much of the difficulties for the party came from trying to get good candidates to run for office. For example, in the four state elections held between 1979 and 1987, Republicans only contested 53 out of the 100 State House of Representatives seats and only 11 of the 19 State Senate seats.

Party organization The Republican Party of Kentucky is organized hierarchically with three levels of authority. The top authority comes from the registered Republicans in Kentucky when the State Convention is in session. However, since the convention is often out of session, there are two lower levels of main authority. The Republican State Central Committee (RSCC) has full control of party operations when State Convention is not in session, while the executive committee within the RSCC controls operations when the RSCC is not in session.

Republican State Central Committee The Republican Party of Kentucky's main authority when not assembled in State Convention is the Republican State Central Committee. The RSCC is responsible for a number of activities and operations involving the party on the state and local levels and is required to meet twice per year through established rules. Some of the operations include controlling of funds, creating committees, and promoting campaigns on all levels. The RSCC meets within twenty days of the Republican State Convention to elect a Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, and State Youth Chair. Other officers in turn are appointed by the elected officers. For example, the State Chairman is elected by the RSCC, who in turn appoints a Treasurer.

Executive committee While the RSCC is not in session, the responsibilities for party organization are delegated to the executive committee, which consists of 56 members and is required through established rules to meet four times a year. Most of the power in the executive committee resides in six high-ranking members, which are the State Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, National Committeewoman, and National Committeeman.

Current officers Robert J. Benvenuti III, State Chairman DeAnna Brangers, Vice Chairman Karen Kelly, Secretary Cathy Bell, Treasurer KC Crosbie, National Committeewoman John T. McCarthy III, National Committeeman

Current elected officials The Kentucky Republican Party controls five of the seven statewide offices and holds supermajorities in both chambers of the Kentucky General Assembly. Republicans also hold both of the state's U.S. Senate seats and five of the six U.S. House seats.

Members of U.S. Congress

U.S. Senate Republicans have controlled both of Kentucky's seats in the U.S. Senate since 1998:

U.S. House of Representatives Out of the 6 seats Kentucky is apportioned in the U.S. House of Representatives, 5 are held by Republicans: +DistrictMemberPhoto1st2nd4th5th6th

Statewide office Republicans control five of the seven elected statewide offices: OfficeNameImageAttorney GeneralRussell ColemanSecretary of StateMichael AdamsState TreasurerMark MetcalfAuditor of Public AccountsAllison BallCommissioner of AgricultureJonathan Shell

Kentucky General Assembly The Republican Party of Kentucky has held a supermajority in both chambers of the Kentucky General Assembly since 2017. They currently hold 32 of the 38 seats in the Kentucky Senate as well as 80 out of 100 seats in the Kentucky House of Representatives.

Kentucky Senate Republicans have maintained a majority in the Kentucky Senate since 1999, and a supermajority since 2013. PositionRepublican Senate LeadersImage Senate PresidentRobert Stivers President Pro TemporeDavid P. Givens Majority Floor LeaderMax Wise Majority Caucus ChairmanRobby Mills Majority WhipMike Wilson

Kentucky House Republicans have maintained both a majority and supermajority in the Kentucky House since 2017. It was the last legislative chamber in the American south with a Democratic majority. Position Republican House leaders ImageHouse SpeakerDavid W. OsborneSpeaker Pro TemporeDavid MeadeMajority Floor Leader Steven Rudy Majority Caucus Chair Suzanne MilesMajority Whip Jason Nemes

Electoral history Gubernatorial +Kentucky Republican Party gubernatorial election resultsElectionImageGubernatorial candidateVotesVote %MapResult1867Sidney M. Barnes33,93924.72%Lost 1868 (special)H. Tarvin Baker25,73418.36%Lost 1871John Marshall Harlan89,29841.39%Lost 1875John Marshall Harlan90,79541.69%Lost 1879Walter Evans81,88136.19%Lost 1883Thomas Z. Morrow89,18140.03%Lost 1887William O'Connell Bradley126,47344.76%Lost 1891Andrew T. Wood116,08740.14%Lost 1895William O'Connell Bradley172,43648.29%Won 1899William S. Taylor193,71448.07%Won 1900 (special)John W. Yerkes229,36349.09%Lost 1903Morris B. Belknap202,86246.17%Lost 1907Augustus E. Willson214,47851.17%Won 1911Edward C. O'Rear195,67244.92%Lost 1915Edwin P. Morrow219,52048.96%Lost 1919Edwin P. Morrow254,47253.82%Won 1923Charles I. Dawson306,27745.81%Lost 1927Flem D. Sampson399,69852.09%Won 1931William B. Harrison366,98245.43%Lost 1935King Swope461,10445.14%Lost 1939King Swope354,70443.49%Lost 1943Simeon Willis279,14450.49%Won 1947Eldon S. Dummit287,75642.48%Lost 1951Eugene Siler288,01445.40%Lost 1955Edwin R. Denney322,67141.45%Lost 1959John M. Robsion Jr.336,45639.44%Lost 1963Louie Nunn436,49649.26%Lost 1967Louie Nunn453,32351.20%Won 1971Tom Emberton412,65344.35%Lost 1975Bob Gable277,99837.16%Lost 1979Louie Nunn381,27840.59%Lost 1983Jim Bunning454,65044.11%Lost 1987John Harper273,14134.91%Lost 1991Larry J. Hopkins294,45235.27%Lost 1995Larry Forgy479,22748.71%Lost 1999Peppy Martin128,78822.20%Lost 2003Ernie Fletcher596,28455.04%Won 2007Ernie Fletcher435,77341.29%Lost 2011David L. Williams294,03435.29%Lost 2015Matt Bevin511,37452.52%Won 2019Matt Bevin704,75448.84%Lost 2023Daniel Cameron627,45747.46%Lost

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