Morgan McGarvey | |
|---|---|
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromKentucky's3rd district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | John Yarmuth |
| Minority Leader of theKentucky Senate | |
| In office January 8, 2019 – January 2, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Ray Jones II |
| Succeeded by | Gerald Neal |
| Member of theKentucky Senate from the19th district | |
| In office December 4, 2012 – January 2, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Tim Shaughnessy |
| Succeeded by | Cassie Chambers Armstrong |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Morgan McGarvey (1979-12-23)December 23, 1979 (age 45) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Chris Danner |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Missouri (BA) University of Kentucky (JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
John Morgan McGarvey (born December 23, 1979) is an American attorney and politician serving as theU.S. representative forKentucky's 3rd congressional district since 2023. A member of theDemocratic Party, he represented the 19th district in theKentucky Senate from 2012 to 2023. In 2018, he was electedminority leader, becoming one of the youngest members of a state legislature to serve in a leadership role.[1] He is currently the only Democrat in Kentucky's congressional delegation.
McGarvey was born inLouisville, Kentucky, and attendedduPont Manual High School.[2] He earned abachelor's degree in journalism from theUniversity of Missouri and aJuris Doctor from theUniversity of Kentucky College of Law.[3] He is the son of John McGarvey, a staff member for former Kentucky GovernorWendell Ford and the city attorney forAnchorage, Kentucky, since 1987.[4]
Before his election to the Kentucky State Senate, McGarvey worked forJack Conway as a Special AssistantAttorney General of Kentucky. He also worked for U.S. RepresentativeBen Chandler and the law firmFrost Brown Todd.[5] McGarvey practices law at Morgan Pottinger McGarvey, a firm his grandfather founded.[6]
McGarvey was first elected in the 2012 election for Kentucky State Senate District 19. He defeated three other candidates in the Democratic primary on May 22, 2012, with 40.7% of the vote and was unopposed in the general election on November 6. In 2016, he was reelected to a second four-year term, defeating Republican nominee Larry West in the general election. In 2018, he became minority floor leader for the Kentucky State Senate. On November 3, 2020, McGarvey was elected to a third term unopposed.[7]
In the Senate, his committee assignments included the Appropriations and Revenue Committee, Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Committee, the Banking and Insurance Committee, the State and Local Government Committee, and the Elections, Constitutional Amendments, and Intergovernmental Affairs Task Force.[8]
Mothers Against Drunk Driving named McGarvey its 2015 Legislator of the Year.[8] TheFoundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility gave him a Leadership Award.[9] McGarvey was named a Most Valuable Policymaker byGreater Louisville Inc.[8] and 2016 Outstanding Young Professional by theUniversity of Kentucky College of Law.[10]
On October 12, 2021, McGarvey launched a campaign to representKentucky's 3rd congressional district after Kentucky's sole Democratic U.S. representative,John Yarmuth, announced his retirement from the seat.[11] In the primary election, McGarvey defeated state RepresentativeAttica Scott.[12] McGarvey won the general election and joined Congress in January 2023.[13]
McGarvey has opposed President Trump's "one, big beautiful" Budget Reconciliation Bill in 2025 and said "To pay for it, kids in Kentucky will go hungry, nursing homes and hospitals will close, and millions of Americans will be kicked off their health insurance. It’s wrong."[14]
On July 19, 2024, McGarvey called forJoe Biden to withdraw from the2024 United States presidential election.[15]
For the119th Congress:[16]
McGarvey and his wife, Chris, live in the Strathmoor neighborhood, a part ofthe Highlands in Louisville, with their three children.[8]
The life of McGarvey's family has been documented by photographer Pam Spaulding for over forty years beginning before McGarvey was born. Spaulding began the project while working at the LouisvilleCourier-Journal newspaper and published photos of the McGarveys in the 2009 bookAn American Family: Three Decades with the McGarveys, published byNational Geographic.[22] Spaulding continues to work documenting the McGarveys today.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Morgan McGarvey | 5,030 | 40.7% | |
| Democratic | Sarah Lynn Cunningham | 4,261 | 34.5% | |
| Democratic | Amy E. Shoemaker | 1,812 | 14.7% | |
| Democratic | Gary Demling | 1,253 | 10.1% | |
| Total votes | 12,356 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Morgan McGarvey | 39,327 | 100% | |
| Total votes | 39,327 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Morgan McGarvey (incumbent) | 39,026 | 61.71% | |
| Republican | Larry West | 24,214 | 38.29% | |
| Total votes | 63,240 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Morgan McGarvey | 50,867 | 100.0% | |
| Total votes | 50,867 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Morgan McGarvey | 52,157 | 63.34% | |
| Democratic | Attica Scott | 30,183 | 36.66% | |
| Total votes | 82,340 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Morgan McGarvey | 160,920 | 61.99% | |
| Republican | Stuart Ray | 98,637 | 38.00% | |
| Write-in | 30 | 0.01% | ||
| Total votes | 259,587 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Morgan McGarvey (incumbent) | 44,275 | 84.11% | |
| Democratic | Geoffrey M. "Geoff" Young | 5,875 | 11.16% | |
| Democratic | Jared Randall | 2,491 | 4.73% | |
| Total votes | 52,641 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Morgan McGarvey (incumbent) | 203,100 | 61.95% | |
| Republican | Mike Craven | 124,713 | 38.04% | |
| Write-in | 51 | 0.02% | ||
| Total votes | 327,864 | 100.0% | ||
Morgan McGarvey, senior associate, Morgan & Pottinger PSC; Kentucky state senator. Age: 33. Birthplace: Louisville.
| Kentucky Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minority Leader of theKentucky Senate 2019–2023 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromKentucky's 3rd congressional district 2023–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 341st | Succeeded by |
