Candidate Questionnaire
What is your name: J.T. Payne
What office are you seeking? Kentucky State Representative, District 11
What is your age: 28
Please provide your family background (i.e. souse, children, grandchildren, pets).
I am proud to be from a working-class family that has taught me the value of humility and hard work. I grew up in rural Henderson County (Reed) where my dad (Jimmy) still resides as does my sister and nieces/nephews. My mom (Penny) and stepfather (Jason) also live in Henderson County as small business owners. My wife, Maddie, and I now live on a small farm in the Smith Mills area.
What is your educational background? (i.e. high school, GED, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctoral degree, etc.).
Have you been elected to a political office previously? If so, what office(s) and when did you hold those office(s)?
Currently in my first term as Kentucky State Representative.
What is your professional background? (Please include career and any boards and volunteer work).
My professional background began during my time at Murray State University where I was student body president and also served as chairman of the Kentucky Board of Student Body Presidents. During this time, I also had internships with the Henderson Extension Office and an agricultural policy fellowship with Congressman James Comer in Washington DC.
Upon returning to Henderson County, I started teaching agriculture and advising the local FFA chapter at Henderson County High School. During those five years, we became a nationally recognized FFA chapter with multiple state winning teams.
As the Kentucky Legislature is a part time, citizen-led legislature, I also currently serve as principal of the Career and Technical Education unit at HCHS, which is the largest (and one of the highest ranked) CTE/vocational education center in the state of Kentucky.
Community involvement has been very important to me. Over the past few years, I have served on numerous community boards/committees including Henderson County Farm Bureau Board, Henderson Chamber of Commerce Board, City of Henderson Vision Committee, Henderson Republican Party Executive Committee, Henderson Kentucky Education Foundation Board, Henderson County Fair Board, and participated in the Henderson Leadership Initiative.
Why are you running for office?
My reason for running is simple: I love Henderson and want us to have a seat at the table. Our community is facing a period of historic growth and it’s important we have someone in the House of Representatives that will work tirelessly to represent the interests of our citizens. I am someone who believes in working together because we all want what’s best for the future of Henderson County.
If elected to office, what would be your top three goals?
1. Education: The most important thing we can invest in is our future. It is crucial to have a high-quality public education system if we want to move our state forward. Many of our public schools in Kentucky (not in Henderson, fortunately) are failing our young people with low literacy and numeracy rates. I will continue working to improve Kentucky schools, including investing in our educators by fully funding the teacher retirement system.
2. Fiscal Responsibility: One of my first votes as state representative was to lower the state income tax. I believe the size of government can grow out of control very quickly and it is the responsibility of elected officials to keep a watchful eye on government growth and spending. Unfortunately, many people running for office believe bigger government is always the answer. Tax dollars belong to citizens, not politicians. Two years in a row I was given a 100% pro-business voting record by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and received their endorsement for the 2026 election.
3. Agriculture: I have been a leading voice in Frankfort protecting our agricultural economy. I have fought against industrial solar complexes and foreign enemies who are trying to buy up massive amounts of Kentucky farmland, I have supported initiatives to make it easier to buy local healthy foods, and I have passed legislation that opens up new markets for Kentucky agriculture.
Why should people vote for you?
I believe I am most qualified to represent district 11 as state representative because I am a young and energetic voice that reflects what we are seeing across our community. In the past 5 years we have seen an unprecedented number of young people step up to the plate to make our community a better place, whether it be in public service, business development, or education. This new generation of leadership is just as important in our state Capitol. In my first term as a legislator, I have become a leading voice in educational policy (one of Henderson’s largest employment sectors), have a pro-business voting record, and voted to cut the income tax to make life more affordable for all Kentuckians.
Please feel free to add an additional comment.
It has been a great honor to represent my hometown in the legislature. If the voters send me back to Frankfort for a second term, I promise to work hard and do my best to represent Henderson well. I believe it’s important to have regular citizens representing us. As the son of a machinist and small business owner and as a career educator myself, I know the struggles of our working-class families, schools, and small businesses. I also know the government can do its part to ease that burden or make it worse, and I will continue advocating for the former.
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