A freshman state representative and former Florence city council member are competing to replace longtime Sen. John Schickel in the Kentucky General Assembly.
Rep. Steve Rawlings (R-Burlington) and Republican Duane Froelicher of Florence will face off on May 21 for their party’s nomination in the 11th Senate District race. The winner is slated to run unopposed in November to replace Schickel, who announced last November that he will not run for another term.
The 11th Senate District covers the upper half of Boone County, including the cities of Florence, Burlington and Union.
Rep. Steve Rawlings
Rawlings is an attorney and businessman who was elected in 2022 to represent the 66th House District. He replaced former Rep. Ed Massey (R-Hebron), an attorney who is running against fellow Republican and attorney TJ Roberts of Burlington to regain the seat this year.
He is married and the father of two children.
The state lawmaker’s campaign website describes Rawlings as a constitutional conservative who believes in religious liberty, a return to paper election ballots, gun rights and “medical freedom” and who opposes “racially divisive concepts” in public education.
LINK nky asked Rawlings to respond to two questions about his plans if he is elected to the 11th District Senate seat. These are his responses:
What plans do you have for Northern Kentucky?
“My plans for Northern Kentucky include the priorities of infrastructure, roads and the budget. A primary focus is responding to the concerns of citizens, and never to overlook their needs and desires. Our region is an engine of growth in the state, so we need to direct our efforts to continued, but responsible, growth to its fullest potential. Underlying this, at all times I seek a respect of the rule of law, with an emphasis on safety, and to uphold and promote constitutional principles.”
How will you make sure NKY’s voice is heard in Frankfort?
“To make certain that NKY’s voice is heard in Frankfort, it takes steady and determined advocacy of the interests of the people of the district and the state. I have been working on priorities through committee work, building relationships and collaboration with colleagues, and thoughtful and informed voting on bills. I have filed 14 bills on behalf of the citizens, most of those bills being constituent driven.”
Duane Froelicher
Froelicher is an investment adviser and owner of Walden Advisors. The former three-term Florence city council member currently serves as president of the Florence Rotary Club.
He and his wife, Kathy, have two grown sons.
The local business owner and civic leader has a bachelor’s degree in marketing with a mathematics minor from Northern Kentucky University. His campaign website says he also received an executive certificate in financial planning from Xavier University.
Froelicher “uses the skills developed over the years to assist his clients in his small business as well as Boone County residents in need,” his website says. He is also an active volunteer for the Honor Run half marathon and serves as a guardian for Honor Flight, an organization that enables veterans to visit national memorials in Washington, D.C.
LINK nky asked Froelicher to respond to two questions about his plans if he is elected to the 11th District Senate seat. These are his responses:
What plans do you have for Northern Kentucky?
“Elimination of the state income tax: Our neighboring states Tennessee, Florida and Texas have eliminated income taxes. Their economy has been thriving. This will help middle-class families with rising cost of living and inflation.
“Road projects: The completion of Ky. 536 will give NKY a needed east and west corridor.
“Workforce: Currently, NKY has more jobs and not enough employees to fill the jobs. Our biggest issue is how to attract new employees and retain families in the region.
“Voting and elections: We have way too many elections. We need to eliminate one of three elections within the four cycles. This will save the state an estimated $23 million.
“Education: We currently have a teacher shortage. We need to address how to get more teachers!
“Veterans: We have a forever debt to our veterans. We lose 23 veterans a day to suicide; this is unacceptable.”
How will you make sure NKY’s voice is heard in Frankfort?
“The key is to develop trust within the leadership team in Frankfort. I will prove that I have the leadership skills to be a committee chair.”
