Kay Kirkpatrick
2017 - Present
2025
7
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Kay Kirkpatrick (Republican Party) is a member of the Georgia State Senate, representing District 32. She assumed office on June 2, 2017. Her current term ends on January 13, 2025.
Kirkpatrick (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the Georgia State Senate to represent District 32. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Kirkpatrick completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Kay Kirkpatrick was born in Birmingham, Alabama. Kirkpatrick's career experience includes working as a orthopedic surgeon. She began serving in the U.S. army National Guard in 2022. Kirkpatrick earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Kentucky in 1976 and an M.D. from the University of Louisville in 1980.[1]
Committee assignments
2023-2024
Kirkpatrick was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Appropriations Committee
- House Health and Human Services Committee, Vice Chair
- Insurance Committee, Secretary
- Veterans, Military and Homeland Security Committee, Ex-Officio
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2021-2022
Kirkpatrick was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Health and Human Services Committee
- Insurance and Labor Committee
- Senate Judiciary Committee
- Veterans, Military and Homeland Security Committee, Chair
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2019-2020
Kirkpatrick was assigned to the following committees:
- Senate Ethics Committee, Chairman
- Insurance and Labor Committee
- Senate Health and Human Services Committee
- Veterans, Military and Homeland Security Committee
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Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2024
See also: Georgia State Senate elections, 2024
General election
General election for Georgia State Senate District 32
Incumbent Kay Kirkpatrick won election in the general election for Georgia State Senate District 32 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kay Kirkpatrick (R)  | 100.0 | 82,307 |
| Total votes: 82,307 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Georgia State Senate District 32
Incumbent Kay Kirkpatrick defeated Ben Paul Fremer in the Republican primary for Georgia State Senate District 32 on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kay Kirkpatrick | 77.4 | 9,361 |
 | Ben Paul Fremer | 22.6 | 2,739 | |
| Total votes: 12,100 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
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Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Kirkpatrick in this election.
2022
See also: Georgia State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for Georgia State Senate District 32
Incumbent Kay Kirkpatrick defeated Sylvia Bennett in the general election for Georgia State Senate District 32 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kay Kirkpatrick (R) | 61.6 | 48,081 |
 | Sylvia Bennett (D) | 38.4 | 29,982 | |
| Total votes: 78,063 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Georgia State Senate District 32
Sylvia Bennett advanced from the Democratic primary for Georgia State Senate District 32 on May 24, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sylvia Bennett | 100.0 | 8,467 |
| Total votes: 8,467 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Georgia State Senate District 32
Incumbent Kay Kirkpatrick defeated Andy Soha in the Republican primary for Georgia State Senate District 32 on May 24, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kay Kirkpatrick | 85.1 | 22,566 |
 | Andy Soha | 14.9 | 3,938 | |
| Total votes: 26,504 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2020
See also: Georgia State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for Georgia State Senate District 32
Incumbent Kay Kirkpatrick defeated Christine Triebsch in the general election for Georgia State Senate District 32 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kay Kirkpatrick (R) | 56.0 | 63,544 |
 | Christine Triebsch (D) | 44.0 | 50,005 | |
| Total votes: 113,549 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Georgia State Senate District 32
Christine Triebsch advanced from the Democratic primary for Georgia State Senate District 32 on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Christine Triebsch | 100.0 | 22,892 |
| Total votes: 22,892 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Georgia State Senate District 32
Incumbent Kay Kirkpatrick advanced from the Republican primary for Georgia State Senate District 32 on June 9, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kay Kirkpatrick | 100.0 | 24,337 |
| Total votes: 24,337 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2018
- See also: Georgia State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for Georgia State Senate District 32
Incumbent Kay Kirkpatrick defeated Christine Triebsch in the general election for Georgia State Senate District 32 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kay Kirkpatrick (R) | 57.4 | 52,870 |
| Christine Triebsch (D) | 42.6 | 39,288 | |
| Total votes: 92,158 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Georgia State Senate District 32
Christine Triebsch advanced from the Democratic primary for Georgia State Senate District 32 on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Christine Triebsch | 100.0 | 9,952 |
| Total votes: 9,952 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Georgia State Senate District 32
Incumbent Kay Kirkpatrick advanced from the Republican primary for Georgia State Senate District 32 on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kay Kirkpatrick | 100.0 | 13,358 |
| Total votes: 13,358 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2017
A special election for District 32 of the Georgia State Senate was called for April 18, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates was February 24, 2017. No candidate received more than 50 percent of the vote in the April 18 election, so there was a runoff election on May 16, 2017.[2]
The District 32 seat became vacant following Republican Judson Hill's decision to run in a special election for Georgia's 6th Congressional District. As of April 2017, the Georgia Constitution required that elected officials vacate their positions upon qualifying to run in an election for another position. The 6th Congressional District seat became vacant following Republican Tom Price's confirmation as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.[3][4]
Five Republicans filed for the District 32 seat: Hamilton Beck, Matt Campbell, Roy Daniels, Kay Kirkpatrick, and Gus Makris. Three Democrats filed for the seat: Christine Triebsch, Exton Howard, and Bob Wiskind.[5]
Triebsch (D) and Kirkpatrick (R) advanced to the runoff election. Triebsch won the plurality of the vote on April 18, receiving 24.2 percent. Kirkpatrick received 21.1 percent of the vote. The five Republican candidates received 60.2 percent of the vote while the three Democratic candidates received 39.8 percent.
The April 18 election for District 32 took place on the same day as the 6th Congressional District special election. Both races advanced to runoff elections, which were scheduled on separate dates. The runoff election for the District 32 seat was on May 16 while the runoff election for the 6th Congressional District was on June 20.
Kirkpatrick won the runoff election on May 16.[6]
| Georgia State Senate, District 32, Special Election Runoff, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Kay Kirkpatrick |
57% | 18,619 | |
| Democratic | Christine Triebsch | 43% | 14,057 | |
| Total Votes | 32,676 | |||
| Source: Georgia Secretary of State | ||||
| Georgia State Senate, District 32, Special Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Hamilton Beck | 3.7% | 2,168 | |
| Republican | Matt Campbell | 10% | 5,858 | |
| Republican | Roy Daniels | 15.2% | 8,912 | |
| Democratic | Exton Howard | 6.9% | 4,063 | |
| Republican | Kay Kirkpatrick |
21.1% | 12,369 | |
| Republican | Gus Makris | 10.2% | 5,969 | |
| Democratic | Christine Triebsch |
24.2% | 14,199 | |
| Democratic | Bob Wiskind | 8.7% | 5,097 | |
| Total Votes | 58,635 | |||
| Source: Georgia Secretary of State | ||||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Kay Kirkpatrick completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kirkpatrick's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am an orthopaedic surgeon and former President of Resurgens Orthopaedics. I ran for office because I wanted a bigger platform to help patients and doctors navigate our complex healthcare system. I also care deeply about our people in uniform and want to represent them as they put their lives on the line for all of us. I serve as a Captain in the 132nd Medical Unit of the Georgia State Defense Force and am deeply engaged in my community. As a Republican, I believe that the government is not the best solution for many of our problems and that the private sector can often do a better job. I believe in individual responsibility and lower taxes. I want to protect our freedom and safety for the sake of my kids and future generations. I have a conservative voting record and a history of effectiveness in the legislature.
- Safety comes first for our citizens and communities. I support our law enforcement, first responders and military and want to be sure they have the tools they need to protect us. Our veteran community has a big role to play in our state and we should continue to prioritize their needs. I want our local law enforcement and prosecutors to follow the law, especially regarding the influx of fentanyl brought illegally across our borders. I am opposed to anti-police efforts, and I proudly back the blue.
- Our healthcare and insurance systems are complex and difficult to navigate for consumers. I work daily to increase transparency and make sure that insurance companies are not getting in the way of appropriate medical care and that they follow guidelines that protect patients.
- Our government is overly broad and gets in the way of the private sector, both businesses and individuals. We need to streamline our government and support accountability and transparency. Individual responsibility is important and government overreach stands in the way.
Healthcare, public safety, military and veterans. I am also very involved in looking out for our vulnerable kids in the foster care system.
I think Ronald Reagan was not only one of the greatest leaders of our time, but also one of the best communicators of his ideas of all time.
The Conservative Heart by Arthur Brooks
Honesty, integrity, communication skills. People have to trust that you will do what you say. Communication skills help in working with other leaders and with helping constituents.
I have a reputation for hard work and attention to detail. I have a lot of leadership experience and my communication skills have translated very well to my job as an elected official.
Listening to all sides and making the best decision based on knowledge and experience. Helping constituents navigate state government. Working with others to pass good legislation.
I like to think that I have been able to work with people of all kinds, and that I have brought a voice of reason and common sense to our often polarized political environment.
I remember the assassination of JFK. I was 9 years old and in class when that happened.
I worked as a nanny before I was old enough to work in the restaurant business. I subsequently worked as a camp counselor for teenage girls for two summers. I also worked as a quality control technician in a brewery one summer. And of course all of that was around helping my parents with their farm.
The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. It is not only well-written but a good story and a testament to what one person can achieve.
The entire Christmas cantata from my choir performance!
I have a habit of saying yes to so many things that I end up overcommitted and struggling to keep up. That comes from wanting to take advantage of many opportunities. Saying yes has led to a lot of fatigue but also a lot of great relationships.
We are fortunate to have a Governor who works well with our state legislature and to have the same party in charge of both the executive and legislative branches. There is a balance that needs to be struck to allow separation of powers as intended by our Founding Fathers.
Thanks to conservative leadership in our state, we have been very successful in creating an environment attractive to both large and small businesses. Our biggest challenge is continuing to grow the workforce to fill the many available jobs. Because the growth in our state is primarily in the metro areas, housing is in short supply. Transportation and traffic are an ongoing concern. These concerns are not unique to Georgia and we are equipped to handle the challenges because of our thriving economy, strong educational pipeline and natural resources.
There is a steep learning curve for effectiveness as a state legislator. Everyone has to start somewhere, and it is possible to get up to speed fairly quickly with hard work and good mentoring. There is a lot to learn about the process in order to successfully navigate passing legislation, and people who have some knowledge of the legislative process and good communication skills are at an advantage.
Relationships are key at the state Capitol, and are critical to being effective. Trust is essential in the credibility needed to get bills passed. We have many examples of people who are good at making statements but not able to get their bills out of committee, much less passed and signed by the Governor. Strong communication skills are very helpful, and time spent getting to know colleagues is well-spent.
Johnny Isakson, my neighbor and friend, was extremely effective and universally respected. He was a great role model for me and was generous with sharing his time and wisdom.
I met with a family with high-demand autistic teenage twins a few years ago. The needs of the boys ended up causing the mom to quit work, and the dad to reduce his work hours. The family has taught me a lot about dealing with special needs kids (and subsequently adults). I have continued to be in partnership with them for a number of years now.
Yes, the balance of power is important and should be reviewed on a regular basis.
I have passed a lot of bills dealing with healthcare, insurance, public safety, and veterans issues. The first bill I passed was related to the state Commission on the Holocaust. I am especially concerned right now about substance use disorder and will continue to work on bills in that area next session.
My local sheriff, Frank Reynolds. My Governor, Brian Kemp. And all my fellow Republican Senators.
The committees I serve on currently are a great fit for my skills: Health and Human Services fits together with Insurance. Veterans, Military and Homeland Security is in my sweet spot as well. I have been honored to Chair the Children and Families committee, working on our foster care and adoption system. I also serve on Appropriations, which is very important in prioritizing our state's spending. The only committee I would add is Public Safety, although I have also been on the Judiciary committee in the past. Other bills related to my areas of expertise go through the Regulated Industries committee.
Both transparency and accountability are high priorities. There are large amounts of taxpayer money at stake, and many of our government agencies do not do a good job of accounting for appropriate use of the funds. This leaves programs in place that are dysfunctional and ineffective. In addition, there is a lot of duplicated effort due to the silos in state government. I have worked hard to improve communication between the agencies in our state government in order to solve problems.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2022
Kay Kirkpatrick did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Kay Kirkpatrick did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2017
Kirkpatrick's campaign website highlighted the following issues:
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Dismantle Obamacare
Eliminate the Income Tax, Replace with the Georgia Fair Tax.
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” |
| —Kay Kirkpatrick[8] | ||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Georgia scorecards, email suggestions to [email protected].
2023
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show]. |
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In 2023, the Georgia State Legislature was in session from January 9 to March 29.
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2022
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show]. |
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In 2022, the Georgia State Legislature was in session from January 10 to April 4.
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2021
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show]. |
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In 2021, the Georgia State Legislature was in session from January 11 to March 31.
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2020
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show]. |
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In 2020, the Georgia State Legislature was in session from January 13 to June 26. The session was suspended from March 13 through June 11.
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2019
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show]. |
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In 2019, the Georgia General Assembly was in session from January 14 through April 2.
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2018
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show]. |
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In 2018, the Georgia General Assembly was in session from January 8 through March 29.
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2017
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show]. |
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In 2017, the Georgia General Assembly was in session from January 9 through March 31.
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2016
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show]. |
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In 2016, the Georgia General Assembly was in session from January 11 through March 24.
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Noteworthy events
On March 20, 2020, Kay Kirkpatrick announced she tested positive for coronavirus[9]
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| Coronavirus pandemic |
| Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more.
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COVID-19, also known as coronavirus disease 2019, is the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The first confirmed case of the disease in the United States was announced on January 21, 2020. For more of Ballotpedia's coverage of the coronavirus impact on political and civic life, click here.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Georgia State Senate District 32 |
Officeholder Georgia State Senate District 32 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 23, 2024
- ↑ Reporter Newspapers, "Special election April 18 to fill state Sen. Judson Hill’s seat," February 17, 2017
- ↑ The New York Times, "Tom Price, Obamacare Critic, Is Said to Be Trump Selection for Health Secretary," November 28, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "Tom Price Is Confirmed as Health Secretary," February 10, 2017
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Eight candidates qualify for State Senate District 32 Race," accessed February 27, 2017
- ↑ 11 Alive, "Election results: Kirkpatrick heading for a win in state senate 32 runoff," accessed May 16, 2017
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Kay for Senate, "Issues," accessed April 4, 2017
- ↑ WGAU, "Athens Senators self-quarantine after COVID exposure," March 23, 2020
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Georgia State Senate District 32 2017-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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