Rhonda Davis

Rhonda Davis (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Kentucky State Senate to represent District 7. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Davis completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Rhonda Davis was born in Louisville, Kentucky. She graduated from Central High School. She attended Elizabethtown Community College. She graduated from Jefferson Vocational in 1993 and earned an associate degree from Jefferson Community College in 2012. Her career experience includes working as a registered nurse.^[1]

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Kentucky State Senate District 7

Aaron Reed defeated Rhonda Davis in the general election for Kentucky State Senate District 7 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aaron Reed (R)	68.0	40,538
	Submit photo	Rhonda Davis (D)	32.0	19,112

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 59,650
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Rhonda Davis advanced from the Democratic primary for Kentucky State Senate District 7.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Kentucky State Senate District 7

Aaron Reed defeated Ed Gallrein and incumbent Adrienne Southworth in the Republican primary for Kentucky State Senate District 7 on May 21, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Aaron Reed	39.3	4,826
	Submit photo	Ed Gallrein	38.3	4,708
		Adrienne Southworth	22.4	2,747

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 12,281
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Davis in this election.

Pledges

Davis signed the following pledges.

U.S. Term Limits

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Rhonda Davis completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Davis' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was raised by a single mom, my grandparents lived with us. My mom and grandparents were factory workers and union members. I have 5 amazing children and 3 beautiful grandchildren. All of them are either in, or have graduated from public schools. I worked as a nurse from 1993-2012. I have an associates degree in arts, science and applied science in nursing.

I had a hobby farm from 2006-2012 and raised chickens. I started my own small business in 2016 working in the Cannabis Hemp space. I started my company without any loans or outside help with less than $500. I currently have 2 locations, 9 employees and we gross over one million in sales annual. Most of that still gets invested right back into the business, and all of my employees make over $15/hr with paid holidays, paid time off and paid sick time. I firmly believe I do better when my employees do well. One of my employees, a single female, bought a home a couple of years ago. That brings me a lot of pride and joy. I never thought I would run for any office even though I have always been interested in politics. However, when KY enacted the trigger bans on abortion which stripped my daughters of their rights and endangers the health of all women, I felt I needed to do something. Now Ky republicans want to push school choice, rather than properly funding public education.

My goals are to kick politicians out of our doctor offices, raise the minimum wage in KY, and restore a fair tax code.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Politicians should not make medical decisions for anyone. A human body is not government property. This includes but is not exclusive to, women, LGBTQIA+, patients seeking cannabis
Public money should not be used for private schools or religious organizations. No new taxes or increased taxes while KY is sitting on 4 billion dollars of unspent tax money. Public schools need to be fully funded, bring back KERA, give our teachers and support staff raises and hire more teachers and support staff to catch our kids up. KY public schools should rank in the top 10 in the United States.
KY was sued in 2020 for banning legal hemp products and they lost in court. Now, they have enacted even stricter bans which are putting hundreds or small businesses out of business and hurting farmers as well as other hemp adjacent industries. This needs to stop immediately. All hemp cannabis that is federally legal needs to be unrestricted. Marijuana should be made completely legal with state regulations, since it is still illegal on the federal level. Whatever regulations placed on marijuana should be immediately revised when the federal government lifts the prohibition.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Reproductive freedom and public education. KY Republicans have cut funding for public education every year since 2015. They have also slashed funding for other social programs such as Medicaid, and programs to help the homeless. And cut taxes for ultra wealthy residents and increased tobacco tax and property taxes. All of this while refusing to spend the tax dollars they have already collected. I want fair taxes personal freedoms restored, public education funded, and property taxes, and tobacco taxes rolled back to previous amount. Repeal the flat tax, make wealthy corporations pay their fair share. Instead of eliminating income tax which favors the wealthy, eliminate sales tax.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My mother. She is strong willed, always worked hard and always tries to do the right thing.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I've been reading more for pleasure lately. I really enjoyed Peyton Place, and Lessons in Chemistry. They give an accurate historical picture of what life was like for women from the time Trump thinks America was great. The hate you give, the way the word is passed, and Malcolm X autobiography are also educational and should be required high school reads.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, I know it's hard to believe any politician. I founded my company on honesty, its actually on the first page of my employee handbook. I don't allow my staff to lie to make a sell. We tell the truth, even when it is not what our customer wants to hear. I will always be straight forward and tell give an honest answer based on the information I have at the time. If I do not know, I will say so, and I will seek the answers.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I'm not afraid to tell it like it is. What you see is truly what you get. I always try to be kind and respectful of others.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Show up and do the job required. As an elected official you must represent everyone and make the decisions that do the most good for the majority of people, not just the ones that voted for you. Sometimes, that will require you to vote for something you don't personally agree with for the greater good. This job is bigger than a single person and it's not about me, it's about you.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to leave the world better than how I got it. I hope my kids will say, I always strived to work for something bigger than myself.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The challenger space shuttle. 1983 I was in the 8th grade.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Airport scanner, about a year.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Peyton Place, Just the raw honesty of how a twelve year old girl perceived growing up in a small town in the years 1936-1944.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Cookie monster, he doesn't seem to have any worries and lives on cookies and never gains weight.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Joyride, by Roxette

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

When I graduated high school, minimum wage was $3.35/ hr. I had a baby in my senior year and married right after graduation. We struggled to make ends meet. We both worked more than one job and was still consistently late on our rent and negative in the bank. I know what it feels like to be hungry. It pains me to see our young people in the same situation now. The minimum wage has not been increased in 28 years and the poverty level has not been adjusted since the sixties. KY needs to adopt a living minimum wage with automatic cost of living increases. Requirements for snap should be relaxed, and Medicaid should be extended to all people making less than 50k per year and small businesses should be allowed to join Medicaid and offer it as a benefit. Medicaid should also include eye and dental care including dentures and glasses. This would've made such a huge difference to my family back then, and I know it would not only ease the burdens on families who are struggling, it will benefit farmers and small businesses as well. KY would shave millions off healthcare if everyone had access to preventative healthcare and were not struggling with food insecurity.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

The legislature should endeavor to work with the Governor to advance our economy, public welfare, education, protect our environment and personal freedoms. The legislature should restore the powers that they stole form the Governor role.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Restoring public trust in relation to how our tax money is spent or hoarded. Restoring our personal freedoms and making constitutional amendments to ensure our rights are never infringed o again. Ky's economy is ranked 28th in the US. We rank 39th in education. KY has 4 billion dollars of tax money stuck in a rainy day fund. Those dollars were paid by taxpayers with the expectation of infrastructure, and schools being paid for. Social programs should be funded and our teachers should be paid better. KY deserves transparency, our police need better resources for mental health and training. We need third parties that are non partisan to investigate when police use excessive force, and ethic issues when judges issue unfair sentences. Privatized prisons should be ended as well as using prisoners for slave labor. KY should hold corporations responsible for pollution and health issues caused by their negligence.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

No, I believe private sector experience is far more valuable. Politics should not be a career. If all you do is climb a political ladder, than all you care about is just doing enough not to lose anyone's vote or monetary support for your next campaign. I believe in term limits for all offices.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes, I believe it is important to listen to everyone, not just people who believe the same as I do.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Elizabeth Warren

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

no

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I recently had a very touching conversation with a couple of young people working at a pizza place in my district. One is pregnant and working for tips while experiencing homelessness. She makes less than minimum wage and has to pay taxes on whatever tips she makes every night. The other is a young black man. He asked me, if I felt people who looked like him are safer now than they were ten years ago. I had to answer no. The politics of 2013-2020 has made hate more acceptable than ever. I do believe it could be worse, but our society has a lot of healing to do. That young man told me he will be the president someday. I look forward to that day.

Tell us your favorite joke.

No, I like telling it too much. I don't want the next person I tell to say, "I've heard it before". Sorry

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

No, that should be the Governors job.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

A bill to restore reproductive freedom to all women and shut the government out of all doctors offices. (this includes trans care)
I will also submit bills to repeal all of the anti gay bills that have been passed into law over the past 6 years.

What committees interest you?

agriculture, health and family services, and education

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I am sick of bait and switch tax policies. KY adopted a flat tax which gave huge cuts to the wealthiest and either a small cut or a little raise to low and middle income families. And then they raised property taxes, increased tobacco tax, and removed the tax exemption on visiting historical sites to recoup the lost revenues from the wealthy.
Every tax increase and every tax cut should be laid out for the public with a detailed explanation on who it will impact the most and and how.

Would a state ballot initiative process be good or bad for your state?

I believe it is not only good, but, necessary. I want to sponsor or support a ballot initiative to codify bodily autonomy freedoms for all citizens. This would protect all medical decisions.

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.

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.

Rhonda Davis campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Kentucky State Senate District 7	Lost general	$4,564	$0
Grand total			$4,564	$0
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

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Candidate

Kentucky State Senate District 7

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on August 12, 2024

[show]

Current members of the Kentucky State Senate

Leadership

Senate President:Robert Stivers

Majority Leader:Max Wise

Minority Leader:Gerald Neal

Senators

District 1

Jason Howell (R)

District 2

Danny Carroll (R)

District 3

Craig Richardson (R)

District 4

Robby Mills (R)

District 5

Stephen Meredith (R)

District 6

Lindsey Tichenor (R)

District 7

Aaron Reed (R)

District 8

Gary Boswell (R)

District 9

David Givens (R)

District 10

Matthew Deneen (R)

District 11

Steve Rawlings (R)

District 12

Amanda Bledsoe (R)

District 13

Reggie Thomas (D)

District 14

Jimmy Higdon (R)

District 15

Rick Girdler (R)

District 16

Max Wise (R)

District 17

Matt Nunn (R)

District 18

Robin Webb (R)

District 19

Cassie Chambers Armstrong (D)

District 20

Gex Williams (R)

District 21

Brandon Storm (R)

District 22

Donald Douglas (R)

District 23

Chris McDaniel (R)

District 24

Shelley Frommeyer (R)

District 25

Robert Stivers (R)

District 26

Karen Berg (D)

District 27

Steve West (R)

District 28

Greg Elkins (R)

District 29

Scott Madon (R)

District 30

Brandon Smith (R)

District 31

Phillip Wheeler (R)

District 32

Mike Wilson (R)

District 33

Gerald Neal (D)

District 34

Jared Carpenter (R)

District 35

Keturah Herron (D)

District 36

Julie Adams (R)

District 37

Vacant

District 38

Mike Nemes (R)

Republican Party (32)

Democratic Party (5)

Vacancies (1)

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on August 12, 2024

[1]

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Rhonda Davis

Contents

Biography

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Kentucky State Senate District 7

Democratic primary election

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Kentucky State Senate District 7

Endorsements

Pledges

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

Get Engaged

Services

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