Steven Rudy

Steven Jack Rudy (born August 9, 1978) is an American politician and agribusiness owner who has served as a Republican member of the Kentucky House of Representatives since January 2005. He represents Kentucky's 1st House district, which includes Ballard, Carlisle, Fulton, and Hickman counties as well as part of McCracken County.

Early life

Steven Jack Rudy was born to parents Jack and Jeanette Rudy of Ballard County on August 9, 1978. Rudy was educated in the Ballard County School system and graduated from Ballard Memorial High School in 1996. Rudy attended college at the former Paducah Community College (now West Kentucky Community and Technical College) and graduated from Murray State University in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts in agriculture education. While at Murray, he was a member of the Future Farmers of America.

Political career

Nuclear Energy Rudy has served as Majority Floor Leader of the Kentucky House since January 2021. In the 2008 session of the Kentucky General Assembly, Rudy introduced legislation that would allow for nuclear plants to be built in Kentucky without having a permanent waste disposal facility, in an attempt to end the state's moratorium on nuclear power plants. The legislation did not pass.

In the 2009 regular session of the Kentucky General Assembly, Rudy refiled legislation to lift the moratorium on nuclear power plants. The General Assembly adjourned sine die that year without the matter passing the house, but the moratorium was later lifted during the 2017 regular session with the passage of the Robert J. Lepper Act. Rudy voted in favor of the bill's passage.

Elections

2004 Rudy was unopposed in the 2004 Republican primary for Kentucky's 1st House district and won the 2004 Kentucky House of Representatives election with 9,749 votes (54.6%) against longtime Democratic incumbent Charles Geveden. Rudy is the first Republican ever elected to the seat. 2006 Rudy was unopposed in the 2006 Republican primary and won the 2006 Kentucky House of Representatives election with 8,226 votes (57.7%) against Democratic candidate Thomas French. 2008 Rudy was unopposed in the 2008 Republican primary and won the 2008 Kentucky House of Representatives election with 9,753 votes (53.4%) against McCracken County Circuit Clerk and Democratic candidate Mike Lawrence. 2010 Rudy was unopposed in the 2010 Republican primary, and won the 2010 Kentucky House of Representatives election with 8,494 votes (59.4%) against Democratic candidate Mike Lawrence. 2012 Rudy was unopposed in the 2012 Republican primary and 2012 Kentucky House of Representatives election, winning the latter with 14,080 votes. 2014 Rudy was unopposed in the 2014 Republican primary 2016 Rudy was unopposed in the 2016 Republican primary 2018 Rudy was unopposed in the 2018 Republican primary 2020 Rudy was challenged in the 2020 Republican primary by former Congressman Carrol Hubbard, who represented Kentucky's 1st Congressional District from 1975 to 1993. Rudy won the primary with 3,258 votes (85.7%) and was unopposed in the 2020 Kentucky House of Representatives election, winning with 17,836 votes. 2022 Rudy won the 2022 Republican primary with 2,176 votes (61%) and was unopposed in the 2022 Kentucky House of Representatives election, winning with 12,590 votes. 2024 Rudy was unopposed for the 2024 Republican primary, and won the 2024 Kentucky House of Representatives election with 16,074 votes (76,7%) against Democratic candidate Frederick Fountain.