"There were some things that were across the board and the reality is it hurt. It's there It changed the dynamics all the way down to the local level," Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers said Thursday. "I called it not trickle-down economics... (but) trickle-down politics."
The Manchester Republican acknowledged that nationally, gas prices, perceptions of Washington, and tariffs all deserve a place on the list of factors that sparked a major Democratic wave. Other factors, he said, were more specific to particular races in other states.
But he was quick to note the balance of power in Frankfort hasn't changed, despite some setbacks for Republicans.
"So only having lost two in the Senate and I think net six in the House, our night was by far better than the majority of the other states. And I think that goes to the leadership we have in the two chambers," Stivers added.
Asked whether the rebuke of the party on a national scale will affect policymaking at the state level in Kentucky, Stivers told WUKY he sees the GOP's resilience in the state as evidence that voters remain satisfied with the results coming out of Frankfort.
"Even though we were judged on national and international issues, we're going to continue to do things that make this state grow," he said. "We've done the policy things that have seen more jobs come to this state, higher-paying jobs, all while reducing the tax burden on the working-class people."
State lawmakers will reconvene for the next legislative session in January.