Democrats backed by Gov. Andy Beshear are vying to unseat two Louisville Republicans in the Kentucky House this fall.
The challengers — union leader John Stovall and education advocate Kate Farrow — are hoping to turn Kentucky’s 37th and 48th House Districts blue. The seats are currently held by Republican Reps. Emily Callaway and Ken Fleming.
According to the latest available campaign finance reports, Stovall has outraised Callaway by nearly $20,000 in the 37th district contest. Fleming raised more than $30,000 over Farrow in the 48th.
The 37th House District includes parts of Bullitt and Jefferson counties. The 48th House District includes parts of Jefferson and Oldham counties.
Beshear won Jefferson County in 2023 with about 70% of the vote while Republican candidate for governor Daniel Cameron carried Bullitt and Oldham counties.
The races could be a test of whether Beshear’s popularity will help his party make inroads against the legislature’s Republican supermajority. The two-term governor predicted Democrats “are going to pick up seats in our state legislature” during the party’s Forward Together Dinner in Louisville earlier this year.
Fleming and Callaway declined the Lantern’s requests for interviews through a Republican Party of Kentucky spokesperson. Both Stovall and Farrow spoke to reporters following a recent Kentucky Democratic Party press conference on labor issues.
37th District
Stovall is president of Teamsters Local 783. He previously worked for the Jefferson County Board of Education for nearly three decades until joining the Teamsters and representing JCPS employees. He said he decided to run for office after he told fellow union members to get involved in politics themselves.
“I just thought I’d be a phony if I didn’t live up to what I had asked them to do,” Stovall said.
His top priorities if elected include creating and protecting jobs, along with securing pensions and health care.
Quick facts about John Stovall
Party: Democratic
City: Louisville
Campaign money raised: $46,489
Website: stovallforkentucky.com
As for what he’s seen from the Kentucky legislature, Stovall expressed concern over GOP-backed labor bills that ultimately failed during the 2023 session, including one that would have removed requirements for employees to have a “reasonable” amount of time for lunch or rest breaks. To push back on such policies in the future, Stovall said Democrats should “be more aggressive” and speak about those issues with voters.
He criticized other laws enacted by the Republican-controlled legislature. “Now they’re telling you what books you can read. Well, that’s not freedom. Now, they’re telling you what a woman can and cannot do with her own body,” Stovall said. “That’s not freedom, and they’re wanting to get involved in stuff that they have no business being involved in.”
Callaway’s website highlights her co-sponsorship of an omnibus crime bill during the last legislative session, House Bill 5. Her website also says she supports eliminating the state income tax, giving parents “more freedom and choices in education,” “is pro-life” and supports the Second Amendment.
Quick facts about Emily Callaway (incumbent)
Party: Republican
City: Louisville
Campaign money raised: $26,525
Website: emilycallaway.net
Callaway voted in favor of putting Amendment 2on the ballot this fall that would allow the General Assembly to fund nonpublic schools. ItShe also carried some successful legislation in 2024, including requiring local school boards adopt a transportation services policy that includes student behavior rules and another that allows school districts to use passenger vehicles, such as vans, to transport kids to and from school as well as other approved school activities.
Callaway, who is serving her first term, introduced a bill dubbed the “Prenatal Equal Protection Act,” which would have criminalized “knowingly and voluntarily causing the death of a preborn child.” That bill was never assigned a committee in the House.
48th District
Farrow became an outspoken education advocate after narrowly losing a race for Oldham County Board of Education in 2022. She said she ran for that office to further support one of her children, who has dyslexia and ADHD. She came in second, “but I realized I wasn’t done.”
“I advocated for him, and then looked up and realized there was a lot of kids that needed advocacy too,” she said.
Farrow said she met with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to support a literacy bill during the 2023 legislative session, Senate Bill 156. Introduced by GOP senators and signed into law by Beshear, it established a statewide reading research center.
Quick facts about Kate Farrow
Party: Democratic
City: Crestwood
Campaign money raised: $53,716
Website: katefarrowforkentucky.com
Farrow said when meeting with voters in her district, the top issues she hears about are repealing Kentucky’s abortion ban and investing in public education, particularly in transportation.
“I think we need to do better at investing in education and making sure it gets all the way down to the front line,” she said.
In response to suggestions by some Louisville lawmakers that the state’s largest school district should be divided, Farrow said “busting up JCPS” would increase overhead expenses since multiple superintendents and school administrations would be created in the county. She also said the move could “unfairly burden” property owners in the West End of Louisville versus the East End when it comes to paying taxes for new school districts.
“As a business person, I really want to dive into root cause analysis and really efficiently spending our dollars,” Farrow said.
Before retiring, Farrow worked at the Louisville Water Company, starting as a laborer and finishing as operations manager.
Farrow said she would be open to working across the aisle to try to get some policies passed and develop relationships regardless of party, adding that she is aware she would be “in the superminority in a supermajority situation.” Heading into November, Democrats have 20 seats in the 100-member House.
“I think there’s more that we have in common than we have in difference, but we have to have those conversations to find it and then move the needle forward together, move it in a more common ground, common sense space,” Farrow said.
Quick facts about Ken Fleming
Party: Republican
City: Louisville
Campaign money raised: $85,072
Website: flemingforkentucky.com
According to his website, Fleming supports eliminating the state income tax, increasing funding to Kentucky’s public education SEEK formula and is looking for ways to strengthen resources for mental health services. He co-sponsored the bill for Amendment 2 and the omnibus crime bill.
Fleming introduced a resolution to establish the Efficient and Effective School District Governance Task Force in the 2024 legislative session. In the interim, that task force, which includes lawmakers and citizen members, has been reviewing the governance of Jefferson County Public Schools.
Fleming was also the primary sponsor of legislation this session to expand exceptions to Kentucky’s abortion ban, including for rape and incest. That bill was never assigned to a House committee.
Fleming has served in the House from 2017 to 2018, and then again from 2021 to present.
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Written by McKenna Horsley. Cross-posted from the Kentucky Lantern.
