Incumbent Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, a Republican will remain in his position after defeating Democratic challenger Robert Conway on Tuesday. The Associated Press called the race in Quarles favor around 7:10 p.m. central time.
During his reelection campaign, Quarles said he wants to expand the Kentucky Proud program, which markets locally-grown produce, livestock, and other products.
Quarles also points to the expansion of the state’s hemp pilot program under his watch, a program first established under the previous commissioner, now-Congressman James Comer.
Quarles, who is 36, has a long academic and political resume. He completed three undergraduate, two master’s degrees and a law degree at the University of Kentucky. He holds a master’s degree in higher education from Harvard University, and completed a doctorate in education at Vanderbilt University.
