Pamela Stevenson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minority Leader of theKentucky House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office January 7, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Derrick Graham |
| Member of theKentucky House of Representatives from the 43rd district | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Booker |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1959-04-08)April 8, 1959 (age 66) 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 |
Pamela D. Stevenson (born April 8, 1959) is an American politician, attorney, and retiredU.S. Air ForceColonel. She is aDemocrat and represents District 43 in theKentucky State House.[1] In 2023, she unsuccessfully ran as the Democratic nominee in the2023 Kentucky Attorney General election losing to Republican nomineeRussell Coleman.[2]
On February 20, 2025, Stevenson announced her intention to run for United States Senator representing the Commonwealth of Kentucky.[3]
Stevenson was born and raised inLouisville, Kentucky, attendingShawnee High School before transferring toBrown High School. Stevenson graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in business fromIndiana University Bloomington in 1981, and in 1984 with aDoctorate of Jurisprudence fromIndiana University Maurer School of Law.
Stevenson served 27 years as aJudge Advocate General with theU.S. Air Force and retired with the rank ofcolonel.[4]
In 2015, Stevenson founded the Stevenson Law Center, which offers legal representationpro bono to veterans and seniors.[5] Stevenson has served as anadjunct professor at theUniversity of Louisville Brandeis School of Law.[6][7]
Stevenson was elected to theKentucky House of Representatives in 2020, replacingCharles Booker, who instead ran for theU.S. Senate.
Stevenson became known for her impassioned speeches.[4] In March 2023, a speech she gave in opposition to the passing of Kentucky House Bill 470, which prohibitsgender-affirming care fortransgender youth and restricts school instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity, went viral online.[8][9][10]
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.[11]
“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?”
In November 2022, Stevenson announced her candidacy forAttorney General of Kentucky in2023. 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.[12]
Main article:2026 United States Senate election in Kentucky
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.[13]
Stevenson is noted in national press as one of several Black women running for US Senate in 2026: includingJuliana Stratton orRobin Kelly of Illinois,Jasmine Crockett of Texas andCatherine Fleming Bruce of South Carolina.[14][15]
Stevenson is aChristian, and was ordained as a minister in 2023. She serves as an Associate Pastor at the Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church, in Louisville.[5]
She is married to Thomas Shannon, a professional photographer. They have two children.[6][7]
| 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 | ||
| 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 | |||
| Democratichold | |||||
| 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 | |||
| Democratichold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Russell Coleman | 752,692 | 58.0 | |
| Democratic | Pamela Stevenson | 544,748 | 42.0 | |
| Total votes | 1,297,440 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Pamela Stevenson (incumbent) | Unopposed | |||
| Total votes | 12,088 | 100.0 | |||
| Democratichold | |||||
Stevenson also confirmed during this interview that she is running in the Democratic primary for Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell's seat in 2026.
| Kentucky House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minority Leader of theKentucky House of Representatives 2025–present | |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forAttorney General of Kentucky 2023 | Most recent |
Statewide elected officials and legislative leaders ofKentucky | ||
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| U.S. senators |  | |
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