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Reggie Thomas
2014 - Present
2029
11
Reggie Thomas (Democratic Party) is a member of the Kentucky State Senate, representing District 13. He assumed office on January 2, 2014. His current term ends on January 1, 2029.
Thomas (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Kentucky State Senate to represent District 13. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Biography
Reggie Thomas graduated from Bryan Station High School in 1971. He earned a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College in 1975 and a Juris Doctor from Harvard University in 1978. His career experience includes working as an assistant professor at Kentucky State University.[1] Thomas was a 2012 Democratic candidate for District 88 of the Kentucky House of Representatives.
Committee assignments
Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.
2023-2024
Thomas was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Committee on Committees
- Economic Development, Tourism and Labor Committee
- Senate Education Committee
- Senate Licensing and Occupations Committee
- Senate Rules Committee
- Economic Development & Workforce Investment Committee
- Education Committee
- Small Business & Information Technology Committee
2021-2022
Thomas was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Committee on Committees
- Economic Development, Tourism and Labor Committee
- Senate Education Committee
- Senate Licensing and Occupations Committee
- Senate Rules Committee
2019-2020
Thomas was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Banking and Insurance Committee
- Senate Education Committee
- Economic Development, Tourism and Labor Committee
- Licensing, Occupations and Administrative Regulations Committee
- Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee
2017 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:
| Kentucky committee assignments, 2017 |
|---|
| • Economic Development, Tourism and Labor |
| • Education |
| • Health and Welfare |
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Thomas served on the following committees:
| Kentucky committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Economic Development, Tourism and Labor |
| • Education |
| • Health and Welfare |
| • Economic Development and Tourism |
| • Education |
| • Health and Welfare |
| • Labor and Industry |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2024
See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2024
General election
General election for Kentucky State Senate District 13
Incumbent Reggie Thomas won election in the general election for Kentucky State Senate District 13 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Reggie Thomas (D) | 100.0 | 34,195 |
| Total votes: 34,195 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Reggie Thomas advanced from the Democratic primary for Kentucky State Senate District 13.
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Thomas in this election.
2020
See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for Kentucky State Senate District 13
Incumbent Reggie Thomas defeated Matt Miniard in the general election for Kentucky State Senate District 13 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Reggie Thomas (D) | 99.8 | 36,345 |
| Matt Miniard (Unaffiliated) (Write-in) | 0.2 | 55 | ||
| Total votes: 36,400 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Reggie Thomas advanced from the Democratic primary for Kentucky State Senate District 13.
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House Kentucky District 6
Incumbent Andy Barr defeated Amy McGrath, Frank Harris, Rikka Wallin, and James Germalic in the general election for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Andy Barr (R) | 51.0 | 154,468 |
 | Amy McGrath (D) | 47.8 | 144,736 | |
 | Frank Harris (L) | 0.7 | 2,150 | |
 | Rikka Wallin (Independent) | 0.3 | 1,011 | |
| James Germalic (Independent) | 0.2 | 523 | ||
| Total votes: 302,888 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Mikel Bradley (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 6
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Amy McGrath | 48.7 | 48,860 |
 | Jim Gray | 40.5 | 40,684 | |
| Reggie Thomas | 7.2 | 7,226 | |
 | Geoff M. Young | 1.6 | 1,574 | |
 | Daniel Kemph | 1.2 | 1,240 | |
| Theodore Green | 0.8 | 835 | ||
| Total votes: 100,419 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 6
Incumbent Andy Barr defeated Chuck Eddy in the Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Andy Barr | 83.8 | 40,514 |
 | Chuck Eddy | 16.2 | 7,858 | |
| Total votes: 48,372 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Reggie Thomas did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Reggie Thomas did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
Thomas' campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
HEALTHCARE We have the highest rate of deaths from cancer in the nation. Kentucky’s numbers are almost 30% higher than the national average, and in some counties, in the 6th district, it is nearly 50% higher. We have a congressman who time and time again has sided with insurance companies… and who has voted to kick over half a million Kentuckians off their health insurance. More will lose access to health insurance because they have pre-existing conditions. “Pre-existing condition” it is not just a fancy phrase. Pre-existing conditions are people; like your neighbor with high-blood pressure, the person you attend church with who has diabetes, or your child’s friend from school who survived cancer. As your next congressman, Reggie Thomas will fight not only to protect the health insurance you have but to make sure every Kentuckian has affordable health insurance. Because healthcare is a right, not a privilege. In the greatest country on the face of the earth, no one should die from a preventable illness just because some insurance company wanted to pad its bottom line. EDUCATION As a young man with a law degree from Harvard, he could have gone anywhere, but for Reggie, there was only one choice… to come home to Kentucky to build a family. Reggie and his late wife Lynda were blessed with three wonderful children who also graduated from Kentucky public schools and who have gone on to get college degrees, have successful careers and are building families of their own. There is a connection, a thread that runs from that scared little boy who lost his father way too early to the successful attorney, father, and grandfather who is running for Congress. That connection is education. Reggie believes that with an education anything is possible. As a state senator Reggie Thomas has fought against charter schools, and as your Congressman he will continue that fight and fight to ensure Kentucky public schools are community schools, not corporate compounds. SAVING KENTUCKY JOBS Reggie Thomas knows we need to do more to improve the job market. A quality education is one of the keys to doing that, but we must also develop workers with enhanced skills. Because better skills mean higher wages and higher wages equals better jobs! A 21st Century infrastructure is also key. In Kentucky, we have hundreds of bridges that are below standard and thousands of miles of roads that haven’t been properly maintained. We also need modern infrastructure like high-speed internet. Reggie believes we need to update our crumbling infrastructure and as our next congressman, he will fight to improve job training and to improve our infrastructure. |
” |
| —Reggie Thomas for Congress[3] | ||
Candidate survey
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
Reggie Thomas participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on February 28, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Reggie Thomas' responses follow below.[4]
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
| “ | 1) Medicare-for-all 2) Raising the minimum wage to $15 hour |
” |
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
| “ | Education- Without education, I would have nothing… with an education anything is possible. That’s why I have devoted much of my life to helping young people. I volunteered my time at my alma mater Bryan Station, Fayette County Schools and Bluegrass Community and Technical College. In addition to a successful law practice, I… like my father before me… am also an educator. I taught at the University of Kentucky Law School, and I am a professor at Kentucky State University.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[2]
|
” |
Endorsements
| Click [show] to view endorsements issued in this race. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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Campaign finance
On May 2, the candidates disclosed the following campaign finance information:
- Amy McGrath had raised more than $2 million and had more than $300,000 in cash on hand.
- Jim Gray had raised more than $1.3 million and had nearly $440,000 in cash on hand.
- Reggie Thomas had raised about $330,000 and had less than $15,000 in cash on hand.
On April 5, 2018, Jim Gray's campaign announced that he raised $790,000 in the first quarter of 2018 and $1.13 million since he began his campaign in December. McGrath's campaign later announced that she raised $587,000 in the first quarter and was at almost $1.7 million in total. Thomas raised about $61,000 in the first quarter and was at about $230,000 in total.[6]
The table below contains data from FEC Quarterly January 2018 reports. It includes only candidates who have reported at least $10,000 in campaign contributions as of December 31, 2017.[7]
Democrats
Campaign advertisements
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2016
- See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2016
Elections for the Kentucky State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on May 17, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was January 26, 2016.
Incumbent Reggie Thomas ran unopposed in the Kentucky State Senate District 13 general election.[8][9]
| Kentucky State Senate District 13, General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Reggie Thomas Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 33,373 | |
| Total Votes | 33,373 | |||
| Source: Kentucky State Board of Elections | ||||
Incumbent Reggie Thomas ran unopposed in the Kentucky State Senate District 13 Democratic primary.[10]
| Kentucky State Senate District 13, Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | |
| Democratic | Reggie Thomas Incumbent (unopposed) | |
2013
Thomas won election in the 2013 election for Kentucky State Senate District 13. The seat was vacant following Kathy Stein's (D) resignation following her appointment as Fayette Family Court judge. Thomas defeated Michael E. Johnson (R) and Richard Moloney (I) in the special election, which took place on December 10, 2013.[11][12][13][14]
| Kentucky State Senate, District 13, Special Election, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Reggie Thomas |
53.8% | 4,040 | |
| Independent | Richard Moloney | 34.9% | 2,617 | |
| Republican | Michael E. Johnson | 11.3% | 851 | |
| Total Votes | 7,508 | |||
2012
Thomas ran in the 2012 election for Kentucky House of Representatives District 88. He ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on May 22, 2012, and was defeated by Robert J. Benvenuti III (R) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[15][16]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert Benvenuti III |
54% | 12,959 | |
| Democratic | Reginald Thomas | 46% | 11,054 | |
| Total Votes | 24,013 | |||
In 2012, Thomas' website highlighted the following campaign themes:[17]
Promote Jobs for Sustainable Economic Growth
- Excerpt: "I will work with state and local officials to make the proposed manufacturing and technology corridor from Lexington to Louisville (known as the BEAM Project) a reality."
Provide Quality Primary and Secondary Education
- Excerpt: "Throughout my life I have been an advocate for high quality education in Fayette County, and I will remain so as your state representative."
Be a Fresh Voice in Frankfort for the People of Fayette County
- Excerpt: "I will be accessible and available to my constituents and will speak up for their interests."
Protect the Promises Made to Retirees and Senior Citizens
- Excerpt: "I will work tirelessly to uphold the guarantees that the State of Kentucky has made to its retirees. Health care, accessibility to health services, and pensions will all be protected by me as your state representative."
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Kentucky scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2024
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show]. |
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In 2024, the Kentucky State Legislature was in session from January 2 to April 15.
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2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Kentucky State Legislature was in session from January 3 to March 30.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the Kentucky State Legislature was in session from January 4 to April 14.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Kentucky State Legislature was in session from January 5 to March 30.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Kentucky State Legislature was in session from January 7 to April 15.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Kentucky General Assembly was in session from January 8 through March 29.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the Kentucky General Assembly was in session from January 2 through April 14.
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2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the Kentucky General Assembly was in session from January 3 through March 30.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the Kentucky General Assembly was in session from January 5 through April 15.
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2015
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show]. |
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In 2015, the Kentucky General Assembly was in session from January 6 through March 23.
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2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
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In 2014, the Kentucky General Assembly was in session from January 7 to April 15.
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See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Reggie Thomas," accessed February 17, 2018
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Reggie Thomas for Congress, "Issues," accessed April 3, 2018
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Reggie Thomas' responses," February 28, 2018
- ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, "Who’s pulling ahead in the battle for money in Central Kentucky’s congressional race?," April 16, 2018
- ↑ FEC, "Federal Election Commission", accessed February 13, 2018
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings with the Office of the Secretary of State," accessed August 17, 2016
- ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections, "2016 General Election Results," accessed November 25, 2016
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings with the Office of the Secretary of State," accessed January 26, 2016
- ↑ courier-journal.com, "Kathy Stein appointed to Fayette judgeship; special elections set for her seat, John Arnold's," October 14, 2013
- ↑ kentucky.com, "Republicans pick Michael Johnson as nominee in special Senate election; Moloney to run as independent," October 21, 2013
- ↑ Kentucky.com, "Democrat Reginald Thomas wins state Senate special election," December 10, 2013
- ↑ Kentucky Department of Elections, "Official Special election results," accessed May 7, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections, "Official 2012 General Election Results," accessed May 6, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections, "Official 2012 Primary Election Results," accessed May 6, 2014
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedwebsite
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Kentucky State Senate District 13 2014-Present |
Succeeded by - |
