Melinda Gibbons Prunty | |
---|---|
Member of the
Kentucky House of Representatives from the 15th district | |
In office January 1, 2017 – January 1, 2023 | |
Preceded by | Brent Yonts |
Succeeded by | Rebecca Raymer |
Personal details | |
Born | December 5, 1957 |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Marshall E. Prunty |
Children | 3 |
Residence(s) | Belton, Kentucky, U.S. |
Alma mater |
University of Kentucky Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology |
Profession | Physical therapist |
Melinda Gibbons Prunty (born December 5, 1957) is a Republican politician who represented Kentucky's 15th legislative district in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 2017 to 2023. She did not seek reelection in 2022.
Prunty earned a bachelor's degree in physical therapy from the University of Kentucky in 1979. [1] She also holds a Master of Theological Studies degree from Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in Saint Meinrad, Indiana, which she completed in 2010. [1]
Prunty and her husband, Marshall, have three daughters – Kaci, Lindsay, and Hillary. [1] Marshall Prunty, a doctor, was unsuccessful in three attempts to capture the 15th district seat in the Kentucky House. [1] [2]
Prunty was raised in the Methodist church, but converted to Roman Catholicism as an adult. [3] [4] She served as director of the Office of Youth Ministry for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Owensboro, resigning in 2016 to seek public office. [2] [4]
In 2016, Prunty filed as a Republican to challenge incumbent Democrat Brent Yonts for his seat representing Kentucky's 15th district in the state House of Representatives. [1] She said her primary impetus for running was "getting pro-life legislation passed". [2] Her other stated priorities as a candidate were to reduce regulations, particularly those affecting small businesses and the coal industry; improving the quality and lowering the cost of healthcare, especially for veterans; reforming adoption law; and strengthening protections for religious freedom and gun rights. [1]
In the November 8, 2016, general election Prunty defeated Yonts by a vote of 10,597 to 7,973. [5] Yonts told The Messenger-Inquirer, "It wasn't me, it was Trump", noting that over half of the 15th district voted a Republican straight ticket, with presidential candidate Donald Trump at the top of the ballot. [6] Prunty's election was part of a Republican landslide in Kentucky that saw the party take control of the state House for the first time since 1921. [7] Including Prunty, 17 Republican challengers unseated Democratic incumbents in the election, turning a 53–47 Democratic majority into a 64–36 Republican majority. [7]