After narrowly, but confidently, deciding against running for the State House in 2010, I set my sights on the State Senate in 2012. Despite challenging a popular, longtime incumbent, God provided a victory. That campaign, run on values that were important to me, and that I believed represented the majority of voters in the 3rd Senate District, was a pickup for the Senate Republican Caucus. Victory that night was the honor of a lifetime. I was proud to become the Senate Majority Caucus’s 23rd member, and represent the people of the 3rd District.
Since my first day in office I have been blessed to serve as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. I have tried my best to serve humbly, with a desire to benefit all Kentuckians. I am honored to have served on a number of committees, task forces, and work groups, in the state and nationally, to consider, debate and advance the best public policy for the people of the Commonwealth.
Many hundreds of bills in committee and more than 10 years later, I can look back on a record I am proud of. I have made myself accessible to Kentuckians both inside and outside my district. I have relentlessly worked to protect unborn life, strengthen families, create an environment for record breaking job growth, reduce our income tax, and slow or stop efforts to expand gaming. More than anything else I have spent my entire tenure in the legislature working to improve public safety, making changes to strengthen the criminal justice system for offenders and victims alike. We’ve created necessary offenses and penalties to respond to criminal behavior. I am particularly proud to have been the sponsor of Marsy’s Law, amending Kentucky’s constitution to create fundamental rights for crime victims. Proof that we never stop learning, the longer I’ve spent in office, the more willing I’ve been to keep an open mind to policies a younger Whitney might have ignored or simply dismissed out of hand.
Election Day is still 19 months away. Amanda and our children, now eight and five, have sacrificed greatly so that I can serve the people of my district, but they’ve sacrificed enough. It is with these thoughts in mind and my desire to remain closest to those I hold most dear that I have decided not to seek reelection as the Kentucky State Senator for District 3. I still have unfinished work to accomplish this year and next, and I’ll be working feverishly to meet those goals for my district and the people of Kentucky. I’m eager to spend more time with my family when my third term in the Senate concludes at the end of 2024.
I plan to continue working in public policy after my time in the Senate has drawn to a close, particularly in the criminal justice and behavioral health space. I look forward to what the future may hold, that I may contribute directly once again to the people of the Commonwealth.
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