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Gerald Neal

From Ballotpedia
Gerald Neal
Kentucky State Senate District 33
Tenure
1989 - Present
Term ends
2029
Years in position
37
Compensation
Base salary
$203.28/calendar day for legislators elected before December 31, 2024. $221.94/calendar day for legislators elected after January 1, 2025.
Per diem
$195.80/day
Elections and appointments
Last election
November 5, 2024
Education
Bachelor's
Kentucky State University at Louisville, 1967
Law
University of Louisville, 1972
Personal
Religion
Christian: Baptist
Profession
Attorney
Contact

Gerald Neal (Democratic Party) is a member of theKentucky State Senate, representingDistrict 33. He assumed office in 1989. His current term ends on January 1, 2029.

Neal (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to theKentucky State Senate to representDistrict 33. He won in the general election onNovember 5, 2024.

Neal began serving asstate senate minority leader in 2023.

Biography

Neal earned his B.A. from Kentucky State University at Louisville in 1967 and his J.D. from Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville in 1972. His professional experience includes working as Assistant Safety Director for the City of Louisville and an attorney for Gerald A. Neal & Associates, Attorneys at Law, Limited Liability Company.

Committee assignments

2025-2026

Neal was assigned to the following committees:

2023-2024

Neal was assigned to the following committees:

2021-2022

Neal was assigned to the following committees:

2019-2020

Neal was assigned to the following committees:

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

Kentucky committee assignments, 2017
Appropriations and Revenue
Education
Transportation

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Neal served on the following committees:

Kentucky committee assignments, 2015
Committees
Education
Rules
Transportation
Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection
Education
Transportation
Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Neal served on the following committees:

Kentucky committee assignments, 2013
Appropriations and Revenue
Education
• Enrollment
State and Local Government

2011-2012

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Neal served on the following committees:

Kentucky committee assignments, 2011
Appropriations and Revenue
Education
Appropriations and Revenue
Education
Local Government
State Government
State and Local Government

2009-2010

In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Neal served on the following committees:

Kentucky committee assignments, 2009
Banking and Insurance
Education
Judiciary

Sponsored legislation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according toBillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.


Elections

2024

See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2024

General election

General election for Kentucky State Senate District 33

IncumbentGerald Neal won election in the general election for Kentucky State Senate District 33 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Gerald Neal
Gerald Neal (D)
 
100.0
 
31,265

Ballotpedia Logo

Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 31,265
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Kentucky State Senate District 33

IncumbentGerald Neal defeatedAttica Scott andMichael Churchill in the Democratic primary for Kentucky State Senate District 33 on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Gerald Neal
Gerald Neal
 
55.3
 
4,854
Image of Attica Scott
Attica Scott
 
39.4
 
3,460
Image of Michael Churchill
Michael Churchill Candidate Connection
 
5.3
 
462

Ballotpedia Logo

Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 8,776
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Neal in this election.

2020

See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Kentucky State Senate District 33

IncumbentGerald Neal won election in the general election for Kentucky State Senate District 33 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Gerald Neal
Gerald Neal (D)
 
100.0
 
38,520

Ballotpedia Logo

Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 38,520
Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. IncumbentGerald Neal advanced from the Democratic primary for Kentucky State Senate District 33.

2016

See also:Kentucky State Senate elections, 2016

Elections for theKentucky State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on May 17, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was January 26, 2016.

IncumbentGerald Neal defeatedShenita Rickman in the Kentucky State Senate District 33 general election.[1][2]

Kentucky State Senate District 33, General Election, 2016
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    DemocraticGreen check mark transparent.pngGerald NealIncumbent84.32%34,588
    RepublicanShenita Rickman15.68%6,432
Total Votes41,020
Source:Kentucky State Board of Elections


IncumbentGerald Neal defeatedToni Stringer andCharles Booker in the Kentucky State Senate District 33 Democratic primary.[3]

Kentucky State Senate District 33, Democratic Primary, 2016
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    DemocraticGreen check mark transparent.pngGerald NealIncumbent48.36%9,013
    DemocraticToni Stringer31.90%5,945
    DemocraticCharles Booker19.75%3,681
Total Votes18,639


Shenita Rickman defeatedJohn Yuen in the Kentucky State Senate District 33 Republican primary.[4]

Kentucky State Senate District 33, Republican Primary, 2016
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    RepublicanGreen check mark transparent.pngShenita Rickman51.83%537
    RepublicanJohn Yuen48.17%499
Total Votes1,036

2012

See also:Kentucky State Senate elections, 2012

Neal won re-election in the2012 election forKentucky State Senate District 33. He ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on May 22, 2012, and defeatedNorris Shelton (Descendents of American Slaves) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[5][6]

Kentucky State Senate, District 33, General Election, 2012
PartyCandidateVote %Votes
    DemocraticGreen check mark transparent.pngGerald NealIncumbent93.7%33,986
    Independent Norris Shelton6.3%2,291
Total Votes36,277

2008

On November 4, 2008, Neal was re-elected to the 33rd District Seat in theKentucky State Senate with no opposition.[7] Neal raised $87,534 for his campaign.[8]

Kentucky State Senate, District 33 (2008)
CandidatesVotesPercent
Gerald Neal (D)36,700100%

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also:Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Gerald Neal did not completeBallotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Gerald Neal did not completeBallotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2016

Neal's campaign website highlighted the following issues:

Senator Gerald Neal is an experienced, proven and effective leader fighting to make a difference for the 33rd Senate District and our community.

  • Fighting for our children, our seniors, our teachers and our schools
  • Fighting for community safety, fairness and common sense in our justice system
  • Fighting against poverty and for economic development
  • Fighting for environmental protection of our community[9]
—Gerald Neal[10]

Campaign finance summary


Ballotpedia LogoNote: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf.Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at theFEC website. Clickhere for more on federal campaign finance law andhere for more on state campaign finance law.


Gerald Neal campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024Kentucky State Senate District 33Won general$140,402 $0
2020Kentucky State Senate District 33Won general$39,435 N/A**
2016Kentucky State Senate, District 33Won$109,901 N/A**
2012Kentucky State Senate, District 3Won$30,316 N/A**
2008Kentucky State Senate, District 3Won$87,534 N/A**
2004Kentucky State Senate, District 3Won$15,025 N/A**
2000Kentucky State Senate, District 3Won$16,775 N/A**
1996Kentucky State Senate, District 3Won$5,625 N/A**
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also:State legislative scorecards andState legislative scorecards in Kentucky

Ascorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states.  To contribute to the list of Kentucky scorecards, email suggestions toeditor@ballotpedia.org.


2024

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show].   

In 2024, theKentucky State Legislature was in session from January 2 to April 15.

Legislators are scored on their stances on conservative fiscal policy.
Legislators from the Louisville area are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to family issues.


2023

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show].   

In 2023, theKentucky State Legislature was in session from January 3 to March 30.

Legislators from the Louisville area are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to family issues.


2022

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show].   

In 2022, theKentucky State Legislature was in session from January 4 to April 14.

Legislators are scored on their stances on conservative fiscal policy.
Legislators from the Louisville area are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to family issues.


2021

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show].   

In 2021, theKentucky State Legislature was in session from January 5 to March 30.

Legislators from the Louisville area are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported by the organization.
Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.


2020

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show].   

In 2020, theKentucky State Legislature was in session from January 7 to April 15.

Legislators from the Louisville area are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.


2019

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show].   

In 2019, theKentucky General Assembly was in session from January 8 through March 29.

Legislators from the Louisville area are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.


2018

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show].   

In 2018, theKentucky General Assembly was in session from January 2 through April 14.

Legislators from the Louisville area are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.


2017

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show].   

In 2017, theKentucky General Assembly was in session from January 3 through March 30.

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.


2016

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show].   

In 2016, theKentucky General Assembly was in session from January 5 through April 15.

Legislators from the Louisville area are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.
Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.


2015

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show].   

In 2015, theKentucky General Assembly was in session from January 6 through March 23.

Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.


2014

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show].   

In 2014, theKentucky General Assembly was in session from January 7 to April 15.

Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.


2013

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show].   

In 2013, theKentucky General Assembly was in session from January 8 to March 26.

Ballotpedia staff did not find any state legislative scorecards published for this state in 2013. If you are aware of one, please contacteditor@ballotpedia.org to let us know.


2012

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show].   

In 2012, theKentucky General Assembly was in session from January 3 through April 9.

Legislators are scored on their votes on economic issues.

Noteworthy events

Covid vnt.png
Coronavirus pandemic
Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more.


Tested positive for coronavirus on September 8, 2020

See also:Government official, politician, and candidate deaths, diagnoses, and quarantines due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020-2021

On September 8, 2020, Neal announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19.[11]

See also


External links

Candidate

Kentucky State Senate District 33

  • Website
  • Officeholder

    Kentucky State Senate District 33

  • Website
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Personal

  • Website
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Footnotes

    1. Kentucky Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings with the Office of the Secretary of State," accessed August 17, 2016
    2. Kentucky State Board of Elections, "2016 General Election Results," accessed November 25, 2016
    3. Kentucky Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings with the Office of the Secretary of State," accessed January 26, 2016
    4. Kentucky Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings with the Office of the Secretary of State," accessed January 26, 2016
    5. Kentucky Secretary of State, "Official 2012 General Election Results," accessed January 7, 2015
    6. Kentucky Secretary of State, Official 2012 Primary Election Results
    7. Kentucky State Board of Elections, "Report of 'Official' Election Night Tally Results," November 26, 2008
    8. District 33 Kentucky State Senate, 2008 Money Raised
    9. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    10. Gerald Neal, "Issues," accessed October 21, 2016
    11. Spectrum News 1, "State Sen. Gerald Neal Tests Positive for Coronavirus," August 30, 2020

    Political offices
    Preceded by
    -
    Kentucky State Senate District 33
    1989-Present
    Succeeded by
    -


    Current members of theKentucky State Senate
    Leadership
    Senate President:Robert Stivers
    Majority Leader:Max Wise
    Minority Leader:Gerald Neal
    Senators
    District 1
    District 2
    District 3
    District 4
    District 5
    District 6
    District 7
    District 8
    District 9
    District 10
    District 11
    District 12
    District 13
    District 14
    District 15
    District 16
    District 17
    District 18
    District 20
    District 21
    District 22
    District 23
    District 24
    District 25
    District 26
    District 27
    District 28
    District 29
    District 30
    District 31
    District 32
    District 33
    District 34
    District 35
    District 36
    District 37
    District 38
    Republican Party (32)
    Democratic Party (6)


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