Kentucky’s 2nd state House District includes all of Graves County and a portion of McCracken County.
This primary is expected to determine who represents the district in Frankfort in the next term, as no Democrats or third-party candidates filed to run for this office.
Candidates’ answers appear in the order their names will be listed on the ballot. Other races that will be on Graves County ballots in the May 19 primary can be found here.
WKMS’ voter guide also has interviews and answers from candidates running for judge-executive in Graves and McCracken counties.
Kim Holloway
Editor’s note: These answers have been transcribed from an interview with Holloway and have been edited for length and clarity. You can also listen to her interview with WKMS below.
Q: What should voters know about you and why are you running for office?
A: I just finished my second session in office. I was sworn in January 1 of 2025. I think that what I've worked the hardest on is to make myself a presence here in the community. [I] tried to be completely transparent, available to all of the people that I work for. I work really hard to educate everyone on what is going on in Frankfort and here at home, and I think that it's been very much appreciated.
I think that our district deserves someone who's willing to maintain communication with them. It's something that we haven't had a whole lot of around here. Down here in western Kentucky, we're four hours away from Frankfort, and there's a gap in between what goes on here and what goes on in our government. And, it's been my priority since day one to try to bridge that gap.
Q: What would your priorities be over the next two years if you’re reelected?
A: I hope to continue the opportunity to reduce the state income tax. We were not able to vote on [it] this year because we did not meet the thresholds necessary. But we were able to vote [to lower] it in 2025 which was, of course, effective this tax year.
I'm going to continue to work on some bills that I've had in the House over the past couple of years, the first one being efforts to increase transparency in our highway contracts, saving taxpayers money. I'm going to continue working on what was House Bill 773 from 2026, which is for the domestic violence registry. It got quite a bit of feedback from survivors across the state, indicating that they were supportive of this effort.
Q: What do you see as the signature issue in your district during this next term?
A: The first phone call that I took once I took office was from some farmers in my district, and I went down there to visit the Clarks River area with them. It's been a source of significant flooding over the past 50 years or so, and it's just been allowed to collect debris over such a long period of time that it's really causing damage to our farmland, our homes, infrastructure, roads and bridges. I know there was a death during one of the floods last year. From the time I took office, that's the issue that I have worked on the hardest, that we were able to secure funding for some cleanup. This year in the budget, Clark's River board was awarded $210,000 to continue the efforts to clean all that debris up, and we've also sought some funding at the federal level. We'll know more about that next year, but I think that's a significant economic issue for both Graves and McCracken County, because it affects both of the counties in my district.
Q: How would you work to improve the quality of life for district residents?
A: I think if you ask anyone here in this district, especially in Graves County, we have a lack of well-paying jobs, and we need to focus on economic development. I have plans to meet with our economic development director in Graves County here as soon as the primary is over… The primary indicator of whether or not a business wants to come here is whether or not our infrastructure is intact. So we need to make sure that we're able to make those investments in our roads and our bridges and all the things necessary that are the basic building blocks of any business wanting to set up roots here.
Q: One thing that is making this election different from some other [legislative] races across the state is that you’re not the only candidate in this race who has legislative experience. In the past election, you beat the incumbent at that time [Richard Heath]. How is this election changing now that you’re the incumbent and you’re having to face two candidates, one of them who also has legislative experience?
A: I think that voters will ultimately decide whether they appreciate the effort that I've put into my work over the past couple of years. I've tried very, very hard to be present here at home, and while I'm in Frankfort.
I promised change. I thought that we needed a change, and I feel like I have provided [that]. There is genuine, genuine representation in Frankfort now that is there for the right reasons and for nothing else. You know, I have a hard time understanding why a person would want to run again after they've been unseated, but I think when, when your intentions are not genuine, it's easy just to become addicted to that life. And I think a return to that life is what's being sought here.
Q: What have you accomplished during your time in office and why should people vote you back in?
A: I've accomplished building that bridge in between here and Frankfort. I think that people feel like they have unfettered access to the representative, which is what they deserve. I see myself as a messenger and as an advocate – and not a leader. You know, I'm someone that is supposed to take my district's concerns to Frankfort on their behalf. I'm also supposed to be the person that helps them to find resources for whatever their needs are here.
I think I should be reelected because I genuinely care about my district. I want to see us do well. I want to make sure that everyone feels like their voice is heard. And, you know, [I] was successful this year at passing my first bill, which I think is a testament to my ability to build good relationships in Frankfort and focus on the issues that matter most here in Graves and McCracken counties.
Q: Is there anything else you want to share with voters?
A: My commitment to the campaign that I ran before I won office in 2024 is to uphold constitutional principles. I firmly believe in individual liberty, fiscal responsibility and a small government, and I think that I have excelled at keeping my word.
Richard Heath
Editor’s note: These answers have been transcribed from an interview with Heath and have been edited for length and clarity. You can also listen to his interview with WKMS below.
Q: What should voters know about you and why are you running for office?
A: I served in Frankfort for 12 years, eight years in the majority party. [I] chaired the House Agriculture Committee, and was able to do a lot of good for West Kentucky. Some of the most recent things was the veterinary school at Murray State University. I led the charge on that to get the ball moving and get us to where we are today.
[I] grew up here in Graves County, lived here all my life. My wife Ruth and I have three married daughters, seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren, and we attend Trace Creek Baptist Church.
Q: What would your priorities be if you’re elected back into this seat?
A: My number one priority is a regional jail for this area. I talked to the judge-executives from surrounding counties. Many of those counties are saying their jails are aging out. The time is approaching. They're going to have to do something, and a standalone county jail is expensive. It's a drain on the local taxpayers to support it. It's not a profit center.
The regional jail would be more than just another jail. It would have a drug rehabilitation component, it would have a mental health component, job training component and then transition housing to help the inmates when [they’ve] finished their time, to have a place to go and learn how to be on their own again, until they can get on their feet, get a job… and have housing that they can support themselves.
Q: Along with this regional jail, are there other issues that you would call signature issues over this next term that you would want to address?
A: We're still rebuilding Mayfield [from the 2021 tornado], and for the most part, we're coming along really well. I was able to secure $54 million for rebuilding downtown Mayfield. The government buildings – City Hall, the county courthouse for the physical court, police station, fire station, Mayfield Electric and Water – those are coming along fine. There are still other needs that will come along, not just in Mayfield, but the other towns and counties that suffered losses from the tornado, like Dawson Springs. But it's still a long road to recovery. There's other issues that need to be addressed [like] infrastructure. I know Mayfield [Water and Electric] needs an auxiliary [power] substation. When the tornado came through in December ‘21, it took out their only substation, and there was no backup. And then, in order to accommodate growth and expansion in this area, there needs to be an additional substation to handle the growth. So there's always projects like that that will come up at any time.
Q: How would you work to improve the quality of life for district residents?
A: Quality of life is tied to income, and income is tied to jobs. As we're rebuilding, we're rebuilding for the future, and trying to attract industry to this area. And industry doesn't have to come to Graves County in Mayfield – it’d be great if it did. But the surrounding counties, like the project going on in McCracken County, $1.8 billion expansion, and the nuclear component of it, a rising tide raises all ships. So any industry we can attract to western Kentucky, especially the Jackson Purchase area, will benefit the quality of life for the citizens in this area.
Q: One thing that makes this race stand out from other state House races that are happening in primaries across Kentucky is that you are trying to get back into office after Kim Holloway beat you in 2024. What would you say makes this year's race different? And why are you trying to get back into this office?
A: So in 2024, I lost by 160 votes with a 13% voter turnout [in the primary election]. I didn't see that as a mandate for either one of us. I don't think enough people went to the polls and voted to make a decision that represented the majority of the people.
I have built relationships in Frankfort over the last 12 years, have a good working relationship with [Kentucky] House and Senate leadership, with committee chairs, with their colleagues in the [state] House and the Senate, and am able to accomplish things that a freshman legislator cannot accomplish, like the $54 million that we got from Mayfield…I enjoy the legislative process. I want to get back to Frankfort and continue the work that I started, and be there for the next major push that comes. Relationships are important in Frankfort, and I've built those relationships. And when you need something for your area, when the relationships are already built, it's easier to get something done.
I want to continue to serve the people of West Kentucky. I have a conservative record on voting pro-life, pro-law enforcement, pro-agriculture and I’m committed to reducing the income tax to zero over time. We've already moved it from 6% to 3.5%, which represents a $3.2 billion savings to the men and women who get up and go to work every day. That's $3.2 billion … that stays in their pocket, and they can spend the way they want to. And those are the kind of things that I enjoyed about the legislative process. When I can make a difference and it impacts the people that I serve, that's what I enjoy and that's what I want to get back to doing.
During your first decade-plus in the House, what would you say your biggest accomplishments were? And is there anything that you would do differently if you’re reelected to this office, or anything that you’ve taken from this time out of the state legislature?
A: So there's several things. As chair of the House Agriculture Committee that I was involved in, not only promoting legislation but blocking legislation that would be harmful. But some of those items the cottage food law bill, for example, that would allow home bakers to make shelf stable items in their home kitchen without spending the money for a commercial kitchen, and they can sell up to $60,000 a year out of their kitchen without having to transition to a commercial kitchen…I know people I live around here and go to church with that have benefited from that.
For the farmers, 10% weight variance on their trucks, hauling their products to market. And then another one that affects not only farmers, but ag business people: divisible load bills, so the dealerships don't have to take the dual wheels off the tractors or the combines to deliver them to the farm and then send a crew out there to put them back on.
So things like that that directly impact the locals … [I’m] proud of my pro life vote. I have a 100% voting record for the pro-life bills that we've passed through Frankfort and sanctity of the human life. I have always stood for that, [along with] Second Amendment rights and First Amendment rights. So those are some examples of some of the things that I consistently [worked] on as a legislator.
Kentucky farmland should belong to Kentucky families. I worked on a bill for two years to make it illegal for foreign countries that are hostile to the United States, like China and Russia, to own Kentucky farmland. And that bill got all the way to the finish line and didn't cross the finish line in 2024. My seat mate in the house refiled the same bill in ‘25 and it passed with flying colors. So that was a piece of legislation that I worked hard on and was proud of and just didn't quite get it across the finish line. But it was still, it still got passed, passed into law, and I'm thankful for that.
Q: Is there anything else you want to share with voters?
A: I'm the same person today that I've been for the last 12 years, and the other times that they've elected me. I will continue to represent them in Frankfort with the same conservative values and policies that I've always had.
I live here [locally]. I'm accessible. I see people when I'm out and about. My wife and I attend church, we eat at local restaurants, we shop at the local stores and, when we see people, I'm available to stop and talk and listen and answer their questions. That hasn't changed. I would love the opportunity to go back and continue to represent this area in Frankfort, and would very much appreciate their vote in the May primary.
Nate Cox
Editor’s note: These answers have been transcribed from an interview with Cox and have been edited for length and clarity. You can also listen to his interview with WKMS below.
Q: What should voters know about you and why are you running for office?
I've been in the community for about 20 years now. About 10 years ago, kind of ramped up and got a little more involved, joined city politics, got on the Mayfield City Council then. And then…[in] December of 2021, kind of everything became really ramped up… I think I was on five city boards. Then because I had just bumped off of city council, which was great, you know, until December of ‘21 [when the tornado hit] and then all those boards got very busy, very fast. So I became real quickly involved in recovering, specifically four or five buildings around town, as well as being on the Mayfield Rebuild board to help, kind of the whole community get, get their feet back.
Since then, I've learned a lot more about state and federal levels of politics, just because, with so much help needed and where we were starting from, you know, it was definitely necessary to kind of bump at those levels, if you will. And kind of what I've ran into is, you know, just the inefficiencies that come at those levels, the complicated, you know, …a lot of red tape, a lot of just, yuck. I tell people all the time, FEMA definitely has the correct amount of letters. It's a four letter word.
In doing all that, it became apparent to me, and I had, you know, I already talked with my family in the beginning – I didn't want to get on city council and sit on city council for 20 years, because, to be really honest, it's not hard to do that. You know, I've already got the signs printed. I've already got shirts. Everybody knows me. You file, you run, boom, and you're pretty much going to be on but I just always felt like there was something better for me to do. And I've always been taught to help as much as you can, however you can. So it was just time for a change. Couple that with understanding that city politics, with the federal and state, got a little confusing with the recovery [from the 2021 tornado outbreak in Mayfield].
What really spurred me is a couple of things. The environment of the race that's kind of been going on for District Two’s state representative for basically six years, is a little embarrassing. And then specifically something called SB 181, which was a bill last year that came down dealing with teacher [and] volunteer communications with students. It was very apparent with that bill to me that they didn't put the right people in the room before they started talking about it or they did and they just didn't care. I don't know which one's better, but just the mess that came with that bill, then the mess was at the level I was at. It rolled out in the middle of the summer, which is a terrible time to roll something out that affects teachers, because they're taking their time … so that put a lot of administrators with schools in the role where they had to explain to teachers who were going to, you know, national conventions for DECA, [Educators] Rising, FCCLA … they had to explain to them how they were supposed to communicate with these children who, a month ago, they could text and then now they're in Los Angeles with five kids on their own, but they can't text them, you know, just a lot of big mess.
So after that, I kind of decided, ‘okay, I know where I want to go and what I want to do,’ so I just started asking a lot of questions. And that's how I got to running for state representative.
Q: If you’re elected to the state House, what would your priorities be in office?
Red tape – I get that it's necessary – [but] specifically in this area, dependency is kind of one of the things that I would want to push away from…Specifically back to the tornado, the reason that the money and the support was there when we needed it from the state was because that's how the system is set up. They spend so much time telling cities and counties how they can raise money or how they should do with their money, that they kind of put them in a position where they're dependent. There was a bill that started through this time. It kind of got knocked down, but the state was going to, in all their niceness… they decided that the cities and counties don't need to hold their own occupational tax at their level. “Why don't we pay that to the state, and the state will just pay it back to us once a quarter when we need it slash after they had earned the interest that had been put into it,” and they've taken the power away.
I feel like we over complicate things. Specifically to the state representative race, each state representative has 45,000 people in their district. Why in the world are people running for this like they're running for federal Congress, when McCracken County commissioners have more people under them than a state representative. This should be ran like a county position. You should be with your people. You should talk to your people. You should know what they want and focus on things that they want instead of stuff that I call national politics. Should we have a voice in national politics? Absolutely. Should we be more worried about the things that are going on at the national level than the roads and bridges in Graves County and District Two? No. So that would be a big focus for me, is … [to] just bring a little common sense back into this. Let the cities and counties do what they want. Small government is small government.
Q: How would you work to improve the quality of life for district residents?
I know everybody hates to go back to before the tornado and after the tornado, but I think the tornado gave us so many great examples of how this should work… [and] the people that really did the work after the tornado. We don't have hundreds of houses in Graves County because of anything the government did. We have hundreds of houses that weren't there that are there now in Graves County because nonprofits partnered with private businesses and built the houses. Like the City of Mayfield didn't build any houses. Graves County didn't build any houses. These nonprofits came in and did it…
You know, I played football growing up, and I was on the offensive line, and the offensive line's job is to set the play and then let the person that knows what they're doing do their job. Politics should work just like that – be it economic development or rebuilding after a tornado or anything. We are the support role. Of course, if something goes wrong, offensive linemen get all the blame, which is kind of how it works. But we should set up the economic development drivers in the state, or whatever, to where they can take the ball and run, you know. Don't get in their way.
Q: One thing about this race that I think stands out from some other races that are going on across the state is that you have a current incumbent who's running for reelection. You have another person who has been in the office for at least 10 years prior, and now is running to try and get back in the office. You're coming in as the candidate that doesn't have that legislative experience behind you. What do you think needs to change in this district, and why should people vote you into the office to do that?
I am a very, very big fan of transparency and just [want to mention] what's [been] going on: the first week of August, when I started into this, one of the first things I did … I went and asked Richard Heath if he was going to run for office. At that point in time, he told me no. He was pretty happy knowing what he was doing. So I just decided, okay … I kind of knew what I wanted, and I knew that Miss Holloway was going to run again, but I also knew that… that's politics, okay. I understand this game, so I wasn't fully expecting that to stick. But that's how you get into a race running with all the people that have held the office for the last 15 years. When I got a phone call in December from Richard and he said he was thinking about running, you know, I was again, not surprised. But also, I'm very committed – even in December, I was very committed to this.
Why me? I think the other two do a great job proving that over and over again. I think we have all sat back for six years and been part of this kind of nasty feud, and it's just embarrassing. It’s the word that I hear. It's the word that I use, and it's a word that I hear when talking to people. It's just time to move on. The last six years because of COVID or [the] tornado or some personal stuff with me, they've just been a lot of strife and mess, and I just think this is a great opportunity to start looking into the next decade with the nuclear power attention that's coming to West Paducah and all that.
I think we're at a spot where we need somebody that understands how stuff works, but that hasn't spent the last few decades using every inch of the relationships that they have and burning some bridges. I just think it's time for a fresh start for all of us, honestly.
