Max Morley
Max Morley (Democratic Party) is running for election to the Kentucky House of Representatives to represent District 30. He declared candidacy for the Democratic primary scheduled on May 19, 2026.[source]
Morley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Max Morley was born in Pikeville, Kentucky. He earned a high school diploma from Pikeville High School, a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville in 2013, and a graduate degree from the University of Missouri, Truman School of Government and Public Affairs in 2020. His career experience includes working as a nonprofit professional, teacher, and policy analyst. Morley has been affiliated with the Louisville Young Democrats, Kentucky Young Democrats, Jefferson County Teachers Association, the Kentucky Education Association, and the National Education Association.[1]
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 30
Cassie Lyles and Max Morley are running in the Democratic primary for Kentucky House of Representatives District 30 on May 19, 2026.
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 | Cassie Lyles  | |
 | Max Morley | |
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Endorsements
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Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Max Morley completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Morley's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Max is the son of two public school teachers and owes everything to the public education Kentucky has provided him.
After graduating from the University of Louisville with degrees in Political Science and Strategic Communications, Max moved to Memphis to begin his career in public education with Teach for America. In Memphis, Max taught English and Social Studies at Southern Avenue Middle School, a low-income, high-need school in the heart of the city. This first experience in the classroom inspired a dedication to and passion for public education and brought to light the need for leaders to stand up to protect students and teachers from those dead set on dismantling it.
In 2016, Max continued his career in the Jefferson County Public Schools system, teaching middle school English and Social Studies.
Max was elected to the Board of Directors of both the Jefferson County Teachers Association and the Kentucky Education Association. Continuing his education and advocacy work, Max earned a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Missouri.- What we say and do as leaders matters. As an elected official, I will always lead with integrity, respect, and a passion for improving the lives of others. I believe you can do this without demonizing people who disagree with you or deepening the divide that our country faces.
- Every policy is education policy. A housing policy that reduces homelessness will also improve educational outcomes. Expanding healthcare to families will also improve educational outcomes. Policies that create economic opportunities for families will decrease childhood hunger and will also improve educational outcomes.
We cannot expect our kids to learn, grow, and be successful if our public policy does not foster housing and healthcare or if it doesn't allow families to put food on their table.
As an educator, I know that we cannot expect teachers to right every societal wrong or fix every broken public policy. - The average Kentuckian does not wake up and think about their elected officials. They think about getting their kids to school safely and on time; about being successful in their jobs and making enough money to support their families; about being able to take their loved ones to a doctor if they are sick. They think about how much it costs to fill their gas tank or how safe it is for their kids to be in their school buildings. We have much more in common than what separates us. Safe neighborhoods, strong schools, and economic opportunities should be available to every Kentuckian, regardless of their zip code, family background, or party affiliation. I will work tirelessly in Frankfort to make this a reality for every Kentuckian.
You cannot meaningfully separate these policies from each other - they are inexorably tied together.
In Frankfort, I will fight for stronger policies in:
- Education
- Healthcare, including all aspects of women's health
- Public Safety
- Gun Violence
- Housing
When the school district tried to fire him over his disability, the Union stepped in and fought alongside my Dad to keep his job.
I am also an avid reader of biography and autobiography of major American political figures - their experiences serve as guideposts on how to (and not to) lead and work for the people who depend on you.
Too often, elected officials forget that they are employed by their constituents - it is a job, and an important one. We must never forget that we are sent to Frankfort to work hard for the people of our District.
I am also someone who knows how to build relationships with others, a quality that will serve me well in a legislature where, as a Democrat, I will unfortunately be in a superminority.
Elected officials in Frankfort have an obligation to conduct themselves with integrity and set an example of servant leadership that fosters goodwill among all those working to make Kentucky a better place - but they must also not be afraid of a good policy fight where necessary.
In short, I want to leave District 30 better than we found it.
Shortly after, I remember sitting in my classroom when the world stopped on 9/11. I had never heard of the World Trade Center, but we all knew immediately that something terrible had happened.
The days after 9/11 showed how great America can be when we are united. But it also showed a dark underbelly of America that was vicious with stereotypes and attacks on our Arab-American friends and neighbors.
I loved this work, and I credit my time there as one of my greatest inspirations to public service.
I used to teach middle school English/Language Arts, so I'm well-read in Young Adult literature as well, and I remember being so pleasantly surprised how incredible the Hunger Games series was. (Just the initial trilogy, though - I haven't read any of the more recent books.)
Our first attempt at IVF was, unfortunately, unsuccessful. Any family who has experienced the long, painful process of the medicines, the trips, the ultrasounds, the waiting, the uncertainty, only to have your dreams of a family come crashing down can tell you - it is soul crushing.
It is unfortunate that the current Republican-dominated General Assembly has such an adversarial perspective toward Governor Andy Beshear. Social media posts from elected Senators and Representative bragging about overriding all of his vetoes are childish at best, and do not serve to improve the lives of a single constituent.
Similarly, Kentucky is a proud home of many strong immigrant communities. These are our friends and neighbors, and Kentucky is as much their Commonwealth as anyone else's. We must be unwavering in protecting all Kentuckians, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, economic background, country of origin, or any other identity that Trump might use to divide us.
Kentucky's education system needs improvements - there is no doubt. But the serious conversations that lead to such improvements are simply not happening in our General Assembly right now. How can JCPS, for example, be expected to improve educational outcomes when they are consistently under bad-faith attack by Republicans in the legislature? How can we expect students to perform when Republicans in Frankfort refuse to engage with root causes of low student success like homelessness, hunger, unsafe neighborhoods, and lack of access to quality, affordable healthcare and economic opporunities?
We are in an unfortunate situation in Kentucky where our legislature is dominated by Republicans. If an elected official is unwilling or unable to build relationships with the party that holds a supermajority in Frankfort, then that legislator will be incapable of improving the lives of their constituents.
Louisville's current Congressman Morgan McGarvey is a recent example of a smart, focused servant leader who is willing to put in the work for the people who need him most. He does this as a US Congressman, but he spent many years doing this same work in the Kentucky General Assembly.
I also deeply admire the work and career of Congressman John Yarmuth, a fighter who was never afraid to get his hands dirty and say what needed to be said - even when it would ruffle feathers.
I had the privilege to volunteer with KRM events and operations, and the stories of these brave New Kentuckians are testaments to the strength and resolve that make this Commonwealth great.
However, the Legislature should not be in the business of abdicating authority to the Executive Branch because of political pressures or laziness. Unfortunately, this is the behavior we are currently seeing in our US Congress, as Congressional Republicans continue to cede unilateral authority to a President who is wholly uninterested in good policy or compassion for others.
The first will be a bill that was introduced in the 2025 Session and, unfortunately, failed. This bill would make it a direct ethics violation for State Legislators to sexually harass members, employees, or agents of the Legislative Branch. It is mind boggling that this is not already an ethics violation under current statute, and the people of the 30th District deserve a Representative focused on restoring integrity to the State House.
- Louisville Metro Councilman Ben Reno-Weber
I am also interested in the Local Government Committee. I plan to be a champion for cities like Louisville who often have unique needs and challenges due to their size, population, and economic activity.
It is the right of all Kentuckians to know the goings-on of their elected officials and how their tax dollars are spent. Attacks on transparency are attacks on accountability.
Republicans in Frankfort have tried and failed twice in the past several years to introduce these Constitutional Amendments. While their ability to get these amendments on the ballot poses a threat to those who would be harmed by these amendments (women and children, in particular), it has been wonderful to watch the Republicans' two largest priorities in recent memory - banning abortion and stealing funds from public schools - fail catastrophically and publicly at the hands of Kentucky's voters.
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Campaign finance summary
Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
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Candidate Kentucky House of Representatives District 30 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on April 8, 2025
