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| Proposed new district for Crittenden. |
Kentucky House of Representatives GOP leadership released its plans for redrawing the state's legislative districts today. The plan would drastically change the political landscape for Crittenden County, changing the district to which it belongs. The proposal calls for moving Crittenden out of the current District 4 and into District 12, joined by Union, Webster and McLean counties.
If approved, it would also pit two current House incumbents, Lynn Bechler (R-Marion) against Jim Gooch Jr. (R-Providence). Bechler, 75, is a four-term representative of District 4. Gooch, 70, has served in the Kentucky House since 1995, representing District 12.
Part of Crittenden was at one time a member of Gooch’s district, the same district Crittenden County resident Roy Joe Head represented in the 1980s.
Crittenden's district was last redrawn after the 2020 U.S. Census, which aligned it with Caldwell and Livingston counties and part of Christian County. The new plan completely dismantles that coalition, putting Livingston in with part of McCracken County and Caldwell with part of Trigg and Christian counties.
See more in next week’s full edition of The Crittenden County on what this proposed change could mean for Crittenden County.
Neither Bechler nor Gooch has officially filed to run for office, but are expected to. Two others have filed for the District 4 seat, Democrat Ronnie Heady and Republican Kristopher Driver. The current plans would mean Driver’s race would not involve Crittenden County since he resides in Fredonia. Heady, who lives in Marion, has family ties in Webster County.
In addition to the redistricting plan, the legislature will consider next week moving the Jan. 7 filing deadline until later in the month because of the changes in this area and in other districts elsewhere in Kentucky. Additionally, the Senate will unveil its proposed new district map in the coming days.
