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Richard Heath

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Richard Heath
Image of Richard Heath
Prior offices
Kentucky House of Representatives District 2

Elections and appointments
Last election

May 21, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Murray State University

Graduate

Murray State University

Personal
Religion
Christian
Profession
Business owner
Contact

Richard Heath (Republican Party) was a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, representing District 2. He assumed office on January 1, 2013. He left office on January 1, 2025.

Heath (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Kentucky House of Representatives to represent District 2. He lost in the Republican primary on May 21, 2024.

Biography

Richard Heath earned bachelor's and master's degrees in agriculture from Murray State University.[1] Heath's career experience includes owning Heath Building Material Inc. He has been affiliated with the Association of General Contractors of America, the National Frame Building Association, and the Home Builders Association.[2]

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

Heath was assigned to the following committees:

2021-2022

Heath was assigned to the following committees:

2019-2020

Heath was assigned to the following committees:

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

Kentucky committee assignments, 2017
Agriculture, Chair
Small Business & Information Technology
State Government

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Heath served on the following committees:

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Heath served on the following committees:

Kentucky committee assignments, 2013
Agriculture and Small Business, Vice chair
Economic Development
• Education

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 House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for Kentucky House of Representatives District 2

Kimberly Holloway won election in the general election for Kentucky House of Representatives District 2 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Kimberly Holloway
Kimberly Holloway (R)
 
100.0
 
16,855

Total votes: 16,855
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Kentucky House of Representatives District 2

Kimberly Holloway defeated incumbent Richard Heath in the Republican primary for Kentucky House of Representatives District 2 on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Kimberly Holloway
Kimberly Holloway
 
52.2
 
1,904
Image of Richard Heath
Richard Heath
 
47.8
 
1,743

Total votes: 3,647
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Heath in this election.

2023

See also: Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner election, 2023

General election

General election for Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture

Jonathan Shell defeated Sierra Enlow in the general election for Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture on November 7, 2023.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jonathan Shell
Jonathan Shell (R)
 
59.4
 
763,468
Image of Sierra Enlow
Sierra Enlow (D)
 
40.6
 
522,521

Total votes: 1,285,989
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture

Sierra Enlow defeated Mikael Malone in the Democratic primary for Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture on May 16, 2023.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Sierra Enlow
Sierra Enlow
 
58.8
 
103,232
Mikael Malone
 
41.2
 
72,478

Total votes: 175,710
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture

Jonathan Shell defeated Richard Heath in the Republican primary for Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture on May 16, 2023.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Jonathan Shell
Jonathan Shell
 
56.4
 
148,170
Image of Richard Heath
Richard Heath
 
43.6
 
114,368

Total votes: 262,538
Candidate Connection = 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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2022

See also: Kentucky House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Kentucky House of Representatives District 2

Incumbent Richard Heath defeated Kimberly Holloway in the general election for Kentucky House of Representatives District 2 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Richard Heath
Richard Heath (R)
 
82.6
 
10,922
Image of Kimberly Holloway
Kimberly Holloway (R) (Write-in) Candidate Connection
 
17.4
 
2,300

Total votes: 13,222
Candidate Connection = 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

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Richard Heath advanced from the Republican primary for Kentucky House of Representatives District 2.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2020

See also: Kentucky House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Kentucky House of Representatives District 2

Incumbent Richard Heath defeated Joshua Gilpin in the general election for Kentucky House of Representatives District 2 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Richard Heath
Richard Heath (R)
 
83.2
 
15,484
Joshua Gilpin (L)
 
16.8
 
3,118

Total votes: 18,602
Candidate Connection = 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

The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Richard Heath advanced from the Republican primary for Kentucky House of Representatives District 2.

2018

See also: Kentucky House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for Kentucky House of Representatives District 2

Incumbent Richard Heath defeated Charlotte Goddard in the general election for Kentucky House of Representatives District 2 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Richard Heath
Richard Heath (R)
 
68.9
 
10,880
Image of Charlotte Goddard
Charlotte Goddard (D)
 
31.1
 
4,922

Total votes: 15,802
Candidate Connection = 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

Democratic primary for Kentucky House of Representatives District 2

Charlotte Goddard advanced from the Democratic primary for Kentucky House of Representatives District 2 on May 22, 2018.

Candidate
Image of Charlotte Goddard
Charlotte Goddard

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Kentucky House of Representatives District 2

Incumbent Richard Heath advanced from the Republican primary for Kentucky House of Representatives District 2 on May 22, 2018.

Candidate
Image of Richard Heath
Richard Heath

Candidate Connection = 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.

2016

See also: Kentucky House of Representatives elections, 2016

Elections for the Kentucky House of Representatives 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 Richard Heath defeated Jesse Wright in the Kentucky House of Representatives District 2 general election.[3][4]

Kentucky House of Representatives District 2, General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.png Richard Heath Incumbent 60.47% 11,699
     Democratic Jesse Wright 39.53% 7,647
Total Votes 19,346
Source: Kentucky State Board of Elections


Jesse Wright ran unopposed in the Kentucky House of Representatives District 2 Democratic primary.[5]

Kentucky House of Representatives District 2, Democratic Primary, 2016
Party Candidate
    Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Jesse Wright  (unopposed)

Incumbent Richard Heath ran unopposed in the Kentucky House of Representatives District 2 Republican primary.[6]

Kentucky House of Representatives District 2, Republican Primary, 2016
Party Candidate
    Republican Green check mark transparent.png Richard Heath Incumbent (unopposed)

2015

See also: Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture election, 2015

Incumbent Commissioner James Comer Jr. (R) chose to run for governor instead of seeking re-election. Fellow Republican Ryan Quarles defeated his Democratic opponent, Jean-Marie Lawson Spann, in the 2015 general election.[7]

Commissioner of Agriculture, 2015
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngRyan Quarles 60.1% 563,383
     Democrat Jean-Marie Lawson Spann 39.9% 374,402
Total Votes 937,785
Election results via Kentucky Secretary of State

Results

Primary

Heath was defeated by Ryan Quarles in the Republican primary held on May 19, 2015.[8]

Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Republican Primary, 2015
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngRyan Quarles 50.4% 92,700
Richard Heath 49.6% 91,273
Total Votes 183,973
Election results via Kentucky State Board of Elections.
General

Incumbent Commissioner James Comer Jr. (R) chose to run for governor instead of seeking re-election. Fellow Republican Ryan Quarles defeated his Democratic opponent, Jean-Marie Lawson Spann, in the 2015 general election.[9]

Commissioner of Agriculture, 2015
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngRyan Quarles 60.1% 563,383
     Democrat Jean-Marie Lawson Spann 39.9% 374,402
Total Votes 937,785
Election results via Kentucky Secretary of State

Polls

General election

Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner
Poll Jean-Marie Lawson Spann (D) Ryan Quarles (R)UndecidedMargin of errorSample size
SurveyUSA/Bluegrass Poll
July 22-28, 2015
32%33%35%+/-3.8685
Public Policy Polling
June 18-21, 2015
31%40%29%+/-2.91,108
AVERAGES 31.5% 36.5% 32% +/-3.35 896.5
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Republican primary

Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Republican Primary, Quarles vs. Heath
Poll Ryan Quarles (R) Richard Heath (R)UndecidedMargin of errorSample size
Triumph Campaigns
March 24, 2015
21%10%66.5%+/-4601
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Hypothetical match-ups

Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner, Quarles vs. Spann
Poll Jean-Marie Lawson Spann (D) Ryan Quarles (R)UndecidedMargin of errorSample size
Gravis Marketing
January 5-6, 2015
31%39%30%+/-4608
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Debates

Debate media

January 16 forum discussion of EPA regulation
February 13 forum

February 13 Republican forum
Republican candidates Richard Heath and Ryan Quarles met for a forum on the state of agriculture in Kentucky hosted by the Agribusiness Industry Network and the Kentucky Ag Council. Both candidates were asked questions about Louisville's role in the agricultural economy and the role of agriculture in the state's economy. Heath highlighted the importance of the National Farm Machinery Show and the close relationship between the commissioner's office and the Mayor of Louisville when discussing the city's role in agriculture. Quarles argued that the Kentucky State Fair serves as an introduction to agriculture for students who might not otherwise understand where their food comes from. He also contended that in the absence of agricultural education, children were more likely to learn about farm practices from organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Humane Society, rather than gaining an understanding of the realities of food production.[10]

Heath noted that the state's agriculture sector generated $6 billion in revenue per year, creating a large number of jobs. He pointed to the growing demand for workers familiar with agricultural technology as an unexplored avenue for the state. Heath cited the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education, which mixes on-the-job training and technical school courses in manufacturing fields, as a template for agricultural training. Quarles pointed to existing growth in local farmers markets and untapped resources like industrial hemp and hop production as strengths of the agriculture sector. He also suggested that the state's Bourbon Trail could be connected to a similar marketing campaign for farms.[10]

January 16 forum

Jean-Marie Lawson Spann (D) and Ryan Quarles (R) compared endorsements and found consensus on the state's response to federal regulations during a forum sponsored by the Kentucky Soybean Association, Kentucky Corn Growers Association, and Kentucky Small Grain Growers Association.[11] Spann touted the endorsement of former commissioner Billy Ray Smith (D) and argued that he was among the best commissioners in state history. Quarles brought up commissioner James Comer Jr.'s (R) endorsement and noted that Comer had established a "gold standard" for future officeholders.[12]

Spann and Quarles both criticized the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for proposed water regulations that could impact agriculture in the Bluegrass State. Spann indicated that she would pursue a lawsuit against the EPA to block new federal standards if necessary, preferring a state approach to water testing. Quarles noted that the state's agriculture development board was already testing water quality to determine the impacts of farm runoff.[12]

Campaign finance

First quarter report (2015)
Comprehensive donor information for this election was collected from the state's campaign finance authority. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $173,801.93 and spent a total of $39,172.92 during this reporting period. This information was last updated on May 5, 2015.[13]

Fourth quarter report (2014)
Comprehensive donor information for this election was collected from the state's campaign finance authority. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $48,674.31 and spent a total of $15,080.21 during this reporting period. This information was last updated on February 3, 2015.[14]

2014

See also: Kentucky House of Representatives elections, 2014

Elections for the Kentucky House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 20, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was January 28, 2014. Jesse Wright ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, while incumbent Richard Heath ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Heath defeated Wright in the general election.[15][16][17]

Kentucky House of Representatives, District 2 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngRichard Heath Incumbent 59.5% 9,181
     Democratic Jesse Wright 40.5% 6,258
Total Votes 15,439

2012

Regular election

See also: Kentucky House of Representatives elections, 2012

Heath won election in the 2012 election for Kentucky House of Representatives District 2. He defeated Patrick Fisher in the Republican primary on May 22, 2012, and defeated Kelly Whitaker in the general election on November 6, 2012.[18][19]

Kentucky House of Representatives, District 2, General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngRichard Heath 54.8% 9,681
     Democratic Kelly Whitaker 45.2% 7,984
Total Votes 17,665
Kentucky House of Representatives, District 2 Republican Primary, 2012
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngRichard Heath 78.7% 752
Patrick Fisher 21.3% 204
Total Votes 956

Special election

See also: Kentucky state legislative special elections, 2012

A special election for District 2 of the Kentucky House of Representatives was held on November 6, 2012, for an unexpired term ending on January 7, 2013. The special election was held on the same day as the regular general election and both races appeared on the ballot.

The seat became vacant after Fred Nesler (D) resigned on May 31, 2012, to take a position with the State Department of Agriculture. The Democratic committee chose Kelly Whitaker as the Democratic candidate and the Republican committee chose Richard Heath as the Republican candidate. Both candidates were on the general election ballot. Heath defeated Whitaker with 54.5% of the vote.[20][21]

Kentucky House of Representatives, District 2, Special Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngRichard Heath 54.5% 9,371
     Democratic Kelly Whitaker 45.5% 7,808
Total Votes 17,179
Source: Kentucky State Board of Elections

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Richard Heath did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2023

Richard Heath did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

Richard Heath did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Richard Heath did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

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.


Richard Heath campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* Kentucky House of Representatives District 2Lost primary$77,043 $0
2023Kentucky Commissioner of AgricultureLost primary$170,234 $0
2022Kentucky House of Representatives District 2Won general$116,037 $0
2020Kentucky House of Representatives District 2Won general$18,590 N/A**
2018Kentucky House of Representatives District 2Won general$58,553 N/A**
2016Kentucky House of Representatives, District 2Won $40,173 N/A**
2014Kentucky House of Representatives, District 2Won $72,790 N/A**
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Kentucky

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

In 2024, the Kentucky State Legislature was in session from January 2 to April 15.

Legislators are scored on their stances on conservative fiscal policy.
Legislators from the Louisville area are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to family issues.


2023


2022


2021


2020


2019


2018


2017


2016


2015


2014


2013


See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. WPSD Local 6, "Kentucky state Rep. Richard Heath files to run for agriculture commissioner," January 4, 2023
  2. Kentucky General Assembly, "Representative Richard Heath (R)," accessed February 25, 2023
  3. Kentucky Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings with the Office of the Secretary of State," accessed August 17, 2016
  4. Kentucky State Board of Elections, "2016 General Election Results," accessed November 25, 2016
  5. Kentucky Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings with the Office of the Secretary of State," accessed January 26, 2016
  6. Kentucky Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings with the Office of the Secretary of State," accessed January 26, 2016
  7. Kentucky Secretary of State, "Agriculture Commissioner," accessed November 4, 2015
  8. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named primary
  9. Kentucky Secretary of State, "Agriculture Commissioner," accessed November 4, 2015
  10. 10.0 10.1 Agribusiness Industry Network Inc., "Kentucky Ag Commissioner Candidate Forum," February 2015
  11. Lexington Herald-Leader, "First candidates forum for ag commissioner," January 7, 2015
  12. 12.0 12.1 CN2, "Down-ticket race, already looking past May primary, jumpstarts 2015 debate season," January 17, 2015
  13. Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, "Candidate Search Results," accessed May 5, 2015
  14. Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, "Candidate Search Results," accessed February 3, 2015
  15. Kentucky Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings with the Office of the Secretary of State," accessed October 29, 2014
  16. Kentucky Secretary of State, "Official 2014 Primary Election Results," accessed October 29, 2014
  17. Kentucky Secretary of State, "Official 2014 General Election Results," accessed December 5, 2014
  18. Kentucky Secretary of State, "Official 2012 Primary Election Results," accessed March 13, 2014
  19. Kentucky Secretary of State, "Official 2012 General Election Results," accessed March 13, 2014
  20. West Kentucky Star, "Graves, McCracken to Hold Special Election Nov. 6," June 23, 2012
  21. Kentucky Board of Elections, "Special Election - State Representative, 2nd Representative District (Unexpired Term)," accessed July 16, 2019

Political offices
Preceded by
-
Kentucky House of Representatives District 2
2013-2025
Succeeded by
Kimberly Holloway (R)


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