Linda Howlett Belcher (born September 28,1948) is an American educator and politician. She is a three-time member of the Kentucky House of Representatives,representing the 49th district,which covers parts of Bullitt County.
Belcher was born in Shepherdsville,Kentucky. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education from Eastern Kentucky University and a Master of Arts in elementary education from Western Kentucky University.
Outside of politics,Belcher worked as an elementary teacher and was a member of the Little Flock Christian Academy School Board. Belcher served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 2009 to 2013 and from 2015 to 2017 as a Democrat. She succeeded her husband Larry Belcher in the Kentucky General Assembly after he was killed in an auto accident. [1] [2]
In 2016,Belcher was defeated for re-election by Republican Dan Johnson. [3] Johnson committed suicide in December 2017,two days after elements of his criminal past had been exposed. Belcher ran again for the open seat in a district which president Donald Trump had won with 72% of the vote. Dan's widow,Rebecca,was chosen by Republican officials as their replacement nominee,to oppose Belcher in a special election. Belcher recaptured her old seat with 68% of the vote. [4] [5] She lost to Republican Thomas Huff in the general election of November 2018. [6]
Date | Election | Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kentucky House of Representatives,49th district | ||||||
Nov 4,2008 [7] | General | Linda Belcher | Democratic | 10,954 | 53.96 | |
Trina Summers | Republican | 9,347 | 46.04 | |||
Larry Belcher died in office;seat stayed Democratic | ||||||
Nov 2,2010 [8] | General | Linda Belcher | Democratic | 7,878 | 50.32 | |
Russell Webber | Republican | 7,777 | 49.68 | |||
Nov 6,2012 [9] | General | Russell Webber | Republican | 11,329 | 52.81 | |
Linda Belcher | Democratic | 10,124 | 47.19 | |||
Nov 4,2014 [10] | General | Linda Belcher | Democratic | 6,675 | 52.92 | |
Michael Nemes | Republican | 5,938 | 47.08 | |||
Nov 8,2016 [11] | General | Dan Johnson | Republican | 9,342 | 50.42 | |
Linda Belcher | Democratic | 9,186 | 49.58 | |||
Feb 20,2018 [12] | Special | Linda Belcher | Democratic | 3,386 | 68.45 | |
Rebecca Johnson | Republican | 1,561 | 31.55 | |||
Nov 6,2018 [13] | General | Thomas Huff | Republican | 8,680 | 59.41 | |
Linda Belcher | Democratic | 5,930 | 40.59 |