Sen. Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon, was elected to the Kentucky Senate in 2009 during a special
election, following his service in the House of Representatives since 2003. He represents the
14th District, which includes Marion, LaRue, Nelson, Spencer, and Washington Counties.
In November 2014, Higdon was elected to leadership as the majority caucus whip. After being
re-elected to the position by his peers in 2017, he was selected as the Senate president pro
tempore in September 2017 and served until January 2019.
Higdon serves as chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. Over several budget cycles, he
has overseen and supported critical investments in Kentucky’s roads, bridges, and highways.
These efforts include securing matching funds for key projects such as the Brent Spence Bridge
and the Mountain Parkway expansion. Most recently, he supported allocating hundreds of
millions of dollars from the state budget reserve trust fund for transformative investments in the
state road plan. Higdon is also co-chair of the Public Pension Oversight Board, where he has
advocated for fully funding state employee and teachers' pensions over and above the statutorily
required amount, and has supported reforms that have improved the solvency of the state’s eight
pension systems.
He serves on the Senate standing committees on Education, Veterans, Military Affairs, and
Public Protection, and Licensing and Occupations. Additionally, Higdon was a member of the
2024 Kentucky Housing Task Force. He is also active in several legislative caucuses, including
the Aerospace/Aviation Caucus, Kentucky Sportsmen’s Caucus, Central Kentucky Caucus, and
Bourbon Trail Caucus.
Higdon is a small business owner and a graduate of Morehead State University. He served as a
member of the United States Army Reserve. He serves on the Marion County Economic
Development Board and as an ad hoc member of the Nelson County Economic Development
Authority.
He and his wife, Jane, reside in Lebanon. They have two children, three grandchildren, and a
beloved granddog.