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 Democrat, he represented the 19th district in the Kentucky Senate from 2013 to 2023. In 2018, he was elected minority leader, becoming one of the youngest members of a general assembly in the nation to serve in a leadership role. He is currently the only Democrat in Kentucky's congressional delegation.

Early life and education

McGarvey was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and attended duPont Manual High School. 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. 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.

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. McGarvey practices law at Morgan Pottinger McGarvey, a firm his grandfather founded.

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.

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.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving named McGarvey its 2015 Legislator of the Year. The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility gave him a Leadership Award. McGarvey was named a Most Valuable Policymaker by Greater Louisville Inc. and 2016 Outstanding Young Professional by the University of Kentucky College of Law.

U.S. House of Representatives

2022 election

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. In the primary election, McGarvey defeated state Representative Attica Scott. McGarvey won the general election and joined Congress in January 2023.

Committee assignments

For the 118th Congress:

• 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
• Congressional Equality Caucus
• Congressional Bus Caucus

Personal life

McGarvey and his wife, Chris, live in the Strathmoor neighborhood, a part of the Highlands in Louisville, with their three children.

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. Spaulding continues to work documenting the McGarveys today.

Electoral history

References

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