Morgan McGarvey

John Morgan McGarvey (born December 23, 1979) is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Kentucky's 3rd congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented the 19th district in the Kentucky Senate from 2012 to 2023. In 2018, he was elected minority 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.

Morgan McGarvey
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 3rd district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2023
Preceded by	John Yarmuth
Minority Leader of the Kentucky Senate
In office January 8, 2019 – January 2, 2023
Preceded by	Ray Jones
Succeeded by	Gerald Neal
Member of the Kentucky Senate from the 19th 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

Early life and education

McGarvey was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and attended duPont Manual High School.^[2] He earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and a Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky College of Law.^[3] He is the son of John McGarvey, a staff member for former Kentucky Governor Wendell Ford and the city attorney for Anchorage, Kentucky, since 1987.^[4]

Early political career

Before his election to the Kentucky State Senate, McGarvey worked for Jack Conway as a Special Assistant Attorney General of Kentucky. He also worked for U.S. Representative Ben Chandler and the law firm Frost Brown Todd.^[5] McGarvey practices law at Morgan Pottinger McGarvey, a firm his grandfather founded.^[6]

Kentucky Senate

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] The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility gave him a Leadership Award.^[9] McGarvey was named a Most Valuable Policymaker by Greater Louisville Inc.^[8] and 2016 Outstanding Young Professional by the University of Kentucky College of Law.^[10]

U.S. House of Representatives

2022 election

Main article: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Kentucky § District 3

On October 12, 2021, McGarvey launched a campaign to represent Kentucky'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 Representative Attica Scott.^[12] McGarvey won the general election and joined Congress in January 2023.^[13]

2024 presidential nominee

On July 19, 2024, McGarvey called for Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 United States presidential election.^[14]

Committee assignments

For the 118th Congress:^[15]

• Committee on Small Business
  • Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure
  • Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development (Ranking Member)
• Committee on Veterans' Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity

Caucus memberships

• Congressional Progressive Caucus
• New Democrat Coalition^[16]
• Congressional Equality Caucus
• Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment^[17]
• Congressional Bus Caucus
• Rare Disease Caucus^[18]

Personal life

McGarvey and his wife, Chris, live in the Strathmoor neighborhood, a part of the 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 Louisville Courier-Journal newspaper and published photos of the McGarveys in the 2009 book An American Family: Three Decades with the McGarveys, published by National Geographic.^[19] Spaulding continues to work documenting the McGarveys today.

Electoral history

Kentucky State Senate, District 19 Democratic Primary, 2012^[7]

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%

Kentucky State Senate, District 19 General Election, 2012^[20]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Morgan McGarvey	39,327	100%
Total votes			39,327	100.0%

Kentucky State Senate, District 19 General Election, 2016^[21]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Morgan McGarvey (incumbent)	39,026	61.71%
	Republican	Larry West	24,214	38.29%
Total votes			63,240	100.0%

Kentucky State Senate, District 19 General Election, 2020^[7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Morgan McGarvey	50,867	100.0%
Total votes			50,867	100.0%

Kentucky 3rd Congressional District Democratic Primary, 2022^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Morgan McGarvey	52,157	63.34%
	Democratic	Attica Scott	30,183	36.66%
Total votes			82,340	100.0%

Kentucky 3rd Congressional District General Election, 2022^[23]

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%

Kentucky 3rd Congressional District Democratic Primary, 2024^[24]

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%

Kentucky 3rd Congressional District General Election, 2024^[25]

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%

References

1. "Senate democratic caucus elects Morgan McGarvey of Louisville as new floor leader". Northern Kentucky Tribune. December 12, 2018. Archived from the original on January 28, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
2. "Meet Morgan McGarvey". McGarvey for State Senate. Archived from the original on April 15, 2014. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
3. "Forty Under 40: Morgan McGarvey". Louisville Business First. September 27, 2013. Archived from the original on August 11, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2014. Morgan McGarvey, senior associate, Morgan & Pottinger PSC; Kentucky state senator. Age: 33. Birthplace: Louisville.
4. Miller, Howard (January 28, 1987). "Two officials resign in Anchorage". Neighborhoods. The Courier-Journal. p. 3.
5. Hodge, Rae (March 11, 2013). "Once an Aspiring 'War Correspondent,' Morgan McGarvey Settles into Senate". WFPL News. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
6. "J. Morgan McGarvey". Morgan Pottinger McGarvey. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
7. "Morgan McGarvey". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on December 22, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
8. "McGarvey for State Senate". Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
9. "2019 Responsibility.org Leadership Awards". Responsibility.org. December 20, 2019. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
10. "Senator Morgan McGarvey Receives UK College of Law Young Professional Award". Morgan Pottinger McGarvey. May 12, 2016. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
11. "Minutes after Rep. Yarmuth announcement, Sen. Morgan McGarvey says he'll run to fill the seat". WLKY. October 13, 2021. Archived from the original on October 13, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
12. "Kentucky State Rep. Attica Scott announces congressional run for Yarmuth seat". WDRB. July 7, 2021. Archived from the original on July 11, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
13. Watkins, Morgan. "Kentucky state Sen. Morgan McGarvey wins Democratic primary for Rep. John Yarmuth's seat". The Courier-Journal. Archived from the original on May 14, 2024. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
14. "Every Big Name Urging Biden To Drop Out: Sen. Sherrod Brown Joins 35 Democrats In Congress". Forbes. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
15. "Morgan McGarvey". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
16. "Leadership | New Democrat Coalition". newdemocratcoalition.house.gov. Archived from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
17. "Membership". Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
18. "Rare Disease Congressional Caucus". Every Life Foundation for Rare Diseases. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
19. Dukehart, Coburn (November 4, 2009). "An American Family". NPR. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
20. "Official 2012 General Election Results" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
21. "Official 2016 General Election Results" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on October 16, 2019. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
22. "Election Night Reporting". vrsws.sos.ky.gov. Kentucky State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
23. "Certified General Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky Secretary of State. January 17, 2023. p. 11.
24. "Kentucky Election Night Reporting". Kentucky Secretary of State. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
25. "Certified General Election Results" (PDF). Kentucky Secretary of State. December 29, 2024. p. 12.

External links

• Congressman Morgan McGarvey official U.S. House website
• Morgan McGarvey for Congress campaign website
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
• Profile at Vote Smart
• Appearances on C-SPAN

Kentucky Senate
Vacant Title last held by Tim Shaughnessy	Member of the Kentucky Senate from the 19th district 2013–2023	Succeeded by Cassie Chambers Armstrong
Preceded by Ray Jones	Minority Leader of the Kentucky Senate 2019–2023	Succeeded by Gerald Neal
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by John Yarmuth	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 3rd congressional district 2023–present	Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by Rich McCormick	United States representatives by seniority 344th	Succeeded by Rob Menendez