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Lisa Willner
2019 - Present
2027
6
Lisa Willner (Democratic Party) is a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, representing District 35. She assumed office on January 1, 2019. Her current term ends on January 1, 2027.
Willner (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the Kentucky House of Representatives to represent District 35. She declared candidacy for the Democratic primary scheduled on May 19, 2026.[source]
Biography
Willner graduated from Jeffersonville High School in 1977, earned her bachelor's degree from Yale University in 1981, master's from the California School of Professional Psychology in 1990, and Ph.D. from the California School of Professional Psychology in 1992. She has served as executive director of the Kentucky Psychological Association and has served on the faculty at Bellarmine University since 2000.[1]
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
Willner was assigned to the following committees:
- House Education Committee (decommissioned)
- Committee on Families and Children
- Health and Family Services Committee
- Education Committee
- Health and Family Services Committee
2021-2022
Willner was assigned to the following committees:
- House Appropriations and Revenue Committee
- House Education Committee (decommissioned)
- Health and Family Services Committee
2019-2020
Willner was assigned to the following committees:
- House Education Committee (decommissioned)
- Health and Family Services Committee
- House Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection Committee
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
2026
See also: Kentucky House of Representatives elections, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on May 19, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Kentucky House of Representatives District 35
Incumbent Lisa Willner is running in the Democratic primary for Kentucky House of Representatives District 35 on May 19, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Lisa Willner | |
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
2024
See also: Kentucky House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for Kentucky House of Representatives District 35
Incumbent Lisa Willner won election in the general election for Kentucky House of Representatives District 35 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lisa Willner (D) | 100.0 | 8,662 |
| Total votes: 8,662 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Lisa Willner advanced from the Democratic primary for Kentucky House of Representatives District 35.
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Willner in this election.
2022
See also: Kentucky House of Representatives elections, 2022
General election
General election for Kentucky House of Representatives District 35
Incumbent Lisa Willner won election in the general election for Kentucky House of Representatives District 35 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lisa Willner (D) | 100.0 | 6,381 |
| Total votes: 6,381 | |||
| = 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 Lisa Willner advanced from the Democratic primary for Kentucky House of Representatives District 35.
2020
See also: Kentucky House of Representatives elections, 2020
General election
General election for Kentucky House of Representatives District 35
Incumbent Lisa Willner won election in the general election for Kentucky House of Representatives District 35 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lisa Willner (D) | 100.0 | 14,224 |
| Total votes: 14,224 | |||
| = 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 Lisa Willner advanced from the Democratic primary for Kentucky House of Representatives District 35.
2018
General election
General election for Kentucky House of Representatives District 35
Lisa Willner defeated Donna Lawlor in the general election for Kentucky House of Representatives District 35 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lisa Willner (D) | 68.1 | 10,279 |
| Donna Lawlor (R) | 31.9 | 4,812 | ||
| Total votes: 15,091 | |||
| = 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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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Kentucky House of Representatives District 35
Lisa Willner defeated Richard Becker and Jack Walker in the Democratic primary for Kentucky House of Representatives District 35 on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lisa Willner | 57.3 | 2,788 |
 | Richard Becker | 28.9 | 1,407 | |
 | Jack Walker | 13.8 | 671 | |
| Total votes: 4,866 | |||
| = 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 Kentucky House of Representatives District 35
Donna Lawlor advanced from the Republican primary for Kentucky House of Representatives District 35 on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Donna Lawlor | |
| ||||
| = 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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2014
The election in Jefferson County featured four seats up for general election on November 4, 2014. There was no primary election. District 1 incumbent Diane Porter ran unopposed. District 3 incumbent Debbie Wesslund chose not to seek re-election, leading to a five-way race between challengers Stephanie Horne, Jan Scholtz, Angela Moorin, Lee Bailey and Louis Scarpellini. District 5 incumbent Linda Duncan ran against David Hittle and Richard O. Brown, and District 6 incumbent Carol A. Haddad faced John DeFazio, Lisa Willner and Patrick Hughes.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  Lisa Willner |
54% | 14,269 | |
| Nonpartisan | Carol A. Haddad Incumbent | 28.5% | 7,521 | |
| Nonpartisan | Patrick Hughes | 17.1% | 4,519 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.4% | 115 | |
| Total Votes | 26,424 | |||
| Source: Jefferson County Clerk, "Official 2014 General Election Results," November 14, 2014 | ||||
Funding
State law did not require campaign finance reporting if contributions or expenditures did not exceed $1,000 in an election cycle.[2]
Endorsements
Willner was endorsed by Better Schools Kentucky, the PAC of the Jefferson County Teachers Association, and The Courier-Journal.[3][4]
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Lisa Willner has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. If you are Lisa Willner, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.
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2024
Lisa Willner did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Lisa Willner did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Lisa Willner did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Lisa Willner completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Willner's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
Good jobs with livable wages, good benefits, and safe working conditions; high-performing public schools with high levels of support for students, teachers, and school employees; access to healthcare including mental health services.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
Public education, Healthcare, Good jobs. For our communities and our state to thrive, we need to put people first. Access to healthcare, good and adequately resourced public schools, and good-paying jobs are essential to moving our state forward.
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
Integrity, compassion, and a strong work ethic.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2014
In response to a survey published by WLKY, Willner answered several questions outlining her campaign themes and vision.
| “ | List 3 reasons voters should elect you: I will advocate for school funding to be spent where it belongs: in the classroom - not to maintain a top-heavy administration. I will work to ensure that teachers have the resources and support they need to engage in the hard and rewarding work of educating our children, to ensure that JCPS students leave school college or career-ready. I will insist on transparency in financial reporting, and will not shrink from challenging the status quo. Taxpayer dollars must be spent efficiently and effectively. As a member of the Board, I will be a hardworking and loyal steward of the public trust. What are the most important issues facing JCPS? Students and student success must be at the center of every JCPS policy and decision. Compared to peer school districts around the country, JCPS invests less in the classroom, has higher student to teacher ratios, and the lowest percentage of teachers compared to total staff. Equitable opportunities for all Jefferson County children to get a great education. District 6 reflects the diversity of the Greater Louisville community. Our public schools must be prepared to meet the unique learning needs of every child. Bringing JCPS into the 21st century. Outdated practices and obsolete technologies are not only wasteful, but stand in the way of our maximizing progress for every student. What is your vision for education in this community? For JCPS to be the best urban school district in the country: Happy, healthy, and engaged children succeeding at a high level. Educators receiving the support they need. Equitable opportunities for a great education for every child. High levels of stakeholder engagement with an abundance of community partnerships, including public/private, JCPS/metro government, K-12/higher education, JCPS/nonprofit, and more. We can't afford to be patient on these issues - children in under-performing schools don't get a second chance at their childhoods. We have to change and improve now for our children and their children to succeed.[5] |
” |
| —WLKY survey (2014)[6] | ||
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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See also
2026 Elections
External links
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Candidate Kentucky House of Representatives District 35 |
Officeholder Kentucky House of Representatives District 35 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Lisa Willner for School Board, "About," accessed September 18, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, "Candidate Guide Campaign Finance," accessed September 16, 2014
- ↑ WFPL, "JCTA's Political Action Committee Endorses Four Jefferson County School Board Candidates," September 2, 2014
- ↑ The Courier-Journal, "Three for school board," October 12, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ WLKY, "In their own words: Lisa Willner," September 17, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jim Wayne (D) |
Kentucky House of Representatives District 35 2019-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Jefferson County Public Schools Board of Education District 6 2014-2018 |
Succeeded by - |
