Pamela Stevenson
American politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pamela D. Stevenson (born April 8, 1959) is an American politician, attorney, and retired U.S. Air Force Colonel. She is a Democrat and represents District 43 in the Kentucky State House.[1]
Pamela Stevenson | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2020 | |
| Minority Leader of the Kentucky House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office January 7, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Derrick Graham |
| Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from the 43rd district | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Booker |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 8, 1959 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Thomas Shannon |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Indiana University, Bloomington (BS, JD) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  United States Air Force |
Years of service | 1984–2011 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | United States Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps |
On February 20, 2025, Stevenson launched a campaign in the 2026 United States Senate election in Kentucky, seeking the Democratic nomination to replace retiring seven-term incumbent Republican Mitch McConnell.[2] Stevenson lost the nomination to Charles Booker.
Early life, education and military career
Stevenson was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, attending Shawnee High School before transferring to Brown High School. Stevenson graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in business from Indiana University Bloomington in 1981, and in 1984 with a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from Indiana University Maurer School of Law.
Stevenson served 27 years as a Judge Advocate General with the U.S. Air Force and retired with the rank of colonel.[3]
In 2015, Stevenson founded the Stevenson Law Center, which offers legal representation pro bono to veterans and seniors.[4] Stevenson has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law.[5][6]
Kentucky House of Representatives
Stevenson was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 2020, replacing Charles Booker, who instead ran for the U.S. Senate.
Stevenson became known for her impassioned speeches.[3] In March 2023, a speech she gave in opposition to the passing of Kentucky House Bill 470, which prohibits gender-affirming care for transgender youth and restricts school instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, went viral online.[7][8][9]
Stevenson made another speech on March 29, 2023, regarding Senate Bill 150 which, like Kentucky House Bill 470, would prohibit all gender-affirming healthcare for transgender people under 18 years of age.[10]
“We have created an environment of hate and then we look at them like there’s something wrong with them, First you hated Black people, then you hated Jews, now you’re hating everybody. So the question is, when it’s the only people left … will you hate yourself?”
2023 Attorney General of Kentucky candidacy
In November 2022, Stevenson announced her candidacy for Attorney General of Kentucky in 2023. She became the presumptive Democratic nominee after no other candidates filed for the Primary, becoming the first African-American woman nominated for the office in Kentucky.[11]
2026 U.S. Senate candidacy
On February 20, 2025, following Senator Mitch McConnell's decision not to seek an eighth term, Stevenson announced her intention to run for United States Senator representing the Commonwealth of Kentucky via a post on X.[12]
Stevenson was noted in national press as one of several Black women who ran for US Senate in 2026: including Juliana Stratton and Robin Kelly of Illinois, Jasmine Crockett of Texas, Priscilla Williams Till of Mississippi, and Catherine Fleming Bruce of South Carolina.[13][14]
Personal life
Electoral history
2018
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Charles Booker | 1,481 | 29.5 | |
| Democratic | Pamela Stevenson | 1,104 | 22.0 | |
| Democratic | Phillip "Phil" Baker | 929 | 18.5 | |
| Democratic | Mark D. Mitchell | 581 | 11.6 | |
| Democratic | Kathleen Parks | 507 | 10.1 | |
| Democratic | Jackson Andrews | 295 | 5.9 | |
| Democratic | Dre Dawson | 116 | 2.3 | |
| Total votes | 5,013 | 100.0 | ||
2020
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Pamela D. Stevenson | 6,320 | 74.1 | |
| Democratic | David L. Snardon | 2,214 | 25.9 | |
| Total votes | 8,534 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Pamela D. Stevenson | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 14,825 | 100.0 | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
2022
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Pamela D. Stevenson (incumbent) | 2,622 | 53.8 | |
| Democratic | Robert LeVertis Bell | 2,255 | 46.2 | |
| Total votes | 4,877 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Pamela D. Stevenson (incumbent) | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 9,045 | 100.0 | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
2023
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Russell Coleman | 752,692 | 58.0 | |
| Democratic | Pamela Stevenson | 544,748 | 42.0 | |
| Total votes | 1,297,440 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
2024
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Pamela Stevenson (incumbent) | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 12,088 | 100.0 | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||