Col. Pamela Stevenson, the top Democrat in the Kentucky House of Representatives, has launched a bid to represent the state in the Senate. If she wins, she’ll replace long-serving Republican leader Mitch McConnell while also becoming one of a handful of Black women elected senators and the first Black person to represent Kentucky in the Senate.
Stevenson launches Senate campaign
In her launch video, Stevenson lists three words — “Duty. Honor. Kentucky. — as her creed and campaign basis. Stevenson paints McConnell as out of touch with ordinary people while pointing to her roots in West Louisville. She highlights her roles as an ordained minister in the church in which she grew up and her 27-year Air Force career, in which she served around the world as a judge advocate general officer. Stevenson warns that the current administration “is coming after all of us” and bemoans “the recklessness in Washington.”
Rising Democratic star in Kentucky
Stevenson has risen through the ranks of Kentucky politics in a predominantly red state. According to WYMT, she has served as a state representative since 2021. The Kentucky Lantern reported that she unsuccessfully ran for Kentucky attorney general in 2023, losing to Republican candidate Russell Coleman. In 2024, Stevenson was chosen by her party to be its floor leader in the Kentucky House, making her the highest-ranking Democrat in the chamber and the first Black woman to serve in this role in Kentucky.
Tough political race ahead
Stevenson will have a challenging but not impossible battle in the Senate race in the heavily Republican state, per The Associated Press. On the GOP side, former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron has already declared his candidacy for McConnell’s seat. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear defeated Cameron to win reelection in 2023; Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman were the only state-level Democrats. Stevenson may also face a challenge from fellow Democrat Rocky Adkins, a popular former legislator and current senior advisor to Beshear. He has not yet announced whether he will run for the Senate seat.
The Kentucky Senate race is shaping up to be competitive. However, Stevenson’s professional and political history has demonstrated her willingness to take on challenges and serve in a variety of ways. She has the chance to make history for Kentucky and Black women in politics.
