Ryan Quarles
Ryan Quarles (Republican Party) was the Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture. He assumed office in 2016. He left office on January 1, 2024.
Quarles (Republican Party) ran for election for Governor of Kentucky. He lost in the Republican primary on May 16, 2023.
Quarles is a former Republican member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, representing District 62 from 2010 to 2015. He resigned after he was elected Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture.[1]
Biography
Ryan Quarles was born in Scott County, Kentucky. Quarles earned bachelor's degrees in agricultural economics and public service & leadership from the University of Kentucky in 2005; master's degrees in agricultural economics and diplomacy & international commerce from the University of Kentucky in 2006; a master's degree in higher education from Harvard University in 2009; a juris doctor from the University of Kentucky in 2010; and a doctorate in higher education from Vanderbilt University in 2018.[2] His career experience includes working as a consultant with GlobalAdRisk, a farmer, a lawyer, and a teacher.[2][3]
Elections
2023
See also: Kentucky gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2023
General election
General election for Governor of Kentucky
Incumbent Andy Beshear defeated Daniel Cameron and Brian Fishback in the general election for Governor of Kentucky on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Andy Beshear (D) | 52.5 | 694,482 | |
| Daniel Cameron (R) | 47.5 | 627,457 | ||
| Brian Fishback (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 83 | ||
| Total votes: 1,322,022 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Kentucky
Incumbent Andy Beshear defeated Geoff M. Young and Peppy Martin in the Democratic primary for Governor of Kentucky on May 16, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Andy Beshear | 91.3 | 176,589 | |
| Geoff M. Young | 5.1 | 9,865 | ||
| Peppy Martin | 3.6 | 6,913 | ||
| Total votes: 193,367 | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Kentucky
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Kentucky on May 16, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Daniel Cameron | 47.7 | 144,576 | |
| Ryan Quarles | 21.7 | 65,718 | ||
| Kelly Knight Craft | 17.2 | 52,170 | ||
| Eric Deters | 5.8 | 17,464 | ||
| Mike Harmon | 2.6 | 7,797 | ||
| Alan Keck | 2.4 | 7,317 | ||
| David Cooper | 0.8 | 2,282 | ||
| Jacob Clark | 0.6 | 1,900 | ||
| Robbie Smith | 0.5 | 1,388 | ||
| Bob DeVore | 0.3 | 931 | ||
| Johnny Ray Rice | 0.2 | 726 | ||
| Denny Ormerod | 0.2 | 696 | ||
| Total votes: 302,965 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Savannah Maddox (R)
2019
See also: Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner election, 2019
General election
General election for Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture
Incumbent Ryan Quarles defeated Robert Haley Conway and Joshua Gilpin in the general election for Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ryan Quarles (R) | 58.2 | 821,414 | |
| Robert Haley Conway (D) | 38.6 | 545,099 | ||
| Joshua Gilpin (L) | 3.2 | 44,596 | ||
| Total votes: 1,411,109 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture
Robert Haley Conway defeated Joe Trigg in the Democratic primary for Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture on May 21, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Robert Haley Conway | 60.2 | 202,913 | |
| Joe Trigg | 39.8 | 134,009 | ||
| Total votes: 336,922 | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture
Incumbent Ryan Quarles defeated Bill Polyniak in the Republican primary for Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture on May 21, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Ryan Quarles | 82.2 | 194,002 | |
| Bill Polyniak | 17.8 | 41,972 | ||
| Total votes: 235,974 | ||||
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2015
General election
Incumbent Commissioner James Comer Jr. (R) chose to run for governor instead of seeking re-election. Fellow Republican Ryan Quarles defeated his Democratic opponent, Jean-Marie Lawson Spann, in the 2015 general election.[4]
| Commissioner of Agriculture, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Ryan Quarles |
60.1% | 563,383 | |
| Democrat | Jean-Marie Lawson Spann | 39.9% | 374,402 | |
| Total Votes | 937,785 | |||
| Election results via Kentucky Secretary of State | ||||
Primary election
Quarles defeated Richard Heath in the primary held on May 19, 2015.[5]
| Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Republican Primary, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
| Ryan Quarles |
50.4% | 92,700 | ||
| Richard Heath | 49.6% | 91,273 | ||
| Total Votes | 183,973 | |||
| Election results via Kentucky State Board of Elections. | ||||
Debates
Debate media
|
|
February 13 Republican forum
Republican candidates Richard Heath and Ryan Quarles met for a forum on the state of agriculture in Kentucky hosted by Agribusiness Industry Network and the Kentucky Ag Council. Both candidates were asked questions about Louisville's role in the agricultural economy and the role of agriculture in the state's economy. Heath highlighted the importance of the National Farm Machinery Show and the close relationship between the commissioner's office and the Mayor of Louisville when discussing the city's role in agriculture. Quarles suggested that the Kentucky State Fair hosted annually in Louisville is a gateway to agriculture for students who otherwise fail to learn the origins of their family meals. He also argued that without agricultural education, children learned lessons about farm cruelty from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Humane Society rather than the realities of food production.[6]
Heath noted that the state's agriculture sector generated $6 billion in revenue per year, creating a large number of jobs. He pointed to the growing demand for workers familiar with agricultural technology as an unexplored avenue for the state. Heath cited the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education, which mixes on-the-job training and technical school courses in manufacturing fields, as a template for agricultural training. Quarles pointed to existing growth in local farmers markets and untapped resources like industrial hemp and hop production as strengths of the agriculture sector. He also suggested that the state's Bourbon Trail could be connected to a similar marketing campaign for farms.[6]
January 16 forum
Jean-Marie Lawson Spann (D) and Ryan Quarles (R) compared endorsements and found consensus on the state's response to federal regulations during a forum sponsored by the Kentucky Soybean Association, Kentucky Corn Growers Association and Kentucky Small Grain Growers Association.[7] Spann touted the endorsement of former commissioner Billy Ray Smith (D) and argued that he was among the best commissioners in state history. Quarles brought up current commissioner James Comer Jr.'s (R) endorsement and noted that Comer had established a "gold standard" for future officeholders.[8]
Spann and Quarles heaped criticism on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for proposed water regulations that could impact agriculture in the Bluegrass State. Spann indicated that she would pursue a lawsuit against the EPA to block new federal standards if necessary, preferring a state approach to water testing. Quarles noted that the state's agriculture development board was already testing water quality to determine the impacts of farm runoff and farmers didn't need "bureaucrats on the farm."[8]
Campaign finance
First quarter report (2015)
Comprehensive donor information for this election was collected from the state's campaign finance authority. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $173,801.93 and spent a total of $39,172.92 during this reporting period. This information was last updated on May 5, 2015.[9]
| Campaign Contributions and Expenditures | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Office | Beginning balance | Contributions | Expenditures | Ending balance |
| Jean-Marie Lawson Spann |
Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture | $76,943.30 | $29,515.00 | $13,445.40 | $93,012.90 |
| Ryan Quarles |
Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture | $21,579.88 | $82,910.17 | $14,054.65 | $90,435.40 |
| Richard Heath |
Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture | $0 | $61,376.76 | $11,672.87 | $49,703.89 |
| Grand Total Raised | $173,801.93 | ||||
| Grand Total Spent | $39,172.92 | ||||
Fourth quarter report (2014)
Comprehensive donor information for this election was collected from the state's campaign finance authority. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $48,674.31 and spent a total of $15,080.21 during this reporting period. This information was last updated on February 3, 2015.[10]
| Campaign Contributions and Expenditures | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Office | Beginning balance | Contributions | Expenditures | Ending balance |
| Jean-Marie Lawson Spann |
Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture | $64,929.08 | $25,700 | $13,685.78 | $76,943.30 |
| Ryan Quarles |
Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture | $0 | $22,974.31 | $1,394.43 | $21,579.88 |
| Richard Heath |
Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Grand Total Raised | $48,674.31 | ||||
| Grand Total Spent | $15,080.21 | ||||
2014
Elections for the Kentucky House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on May 20, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was January 28, 2014. Chuck Tackett ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, while incumbent Ryan F. Quarles ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Quarles defeated Tackett in the general election.[11][12][13]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ryan Quarles Incumbent |
58.7% | 9,163 | |
| Democratic | Chuck Tackett | 41.3% | 6,439 | |
| Total Votes | 15,602 | |||
2012
Quarles won re-election in the 2012 election for Kentucky House of Representatives District 62. He ran unopposed in the Republican primary on May 22, 2012, and defeated Charlie Hoffman (D) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[14][15]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ryan Quarles Incumbent |
54% | 12,408 | |
| Democratic | Charlie Hoffman | 46% | 10,557 | |
| Total Votes | 22,965 | |||
2010
Quarles' opponent in the November 2 general election was Democratic incumbent Charles Hoffman (Kentucky). According to official results, Quarles defeated Hoffman by a margin of 8,508 to 8,287.[16]
| Kentucky House of Representatives, District 62 General Election (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Ryan Quarles (R)
|
8,508 | |||
| Charles Hoffman (D) | 8,287 | |||
Quarles defeated Ricky Hostetler by a margin of 2,081 to 1,388 in the May 18 Republican primary election.[17][18]
Campaign themes
2023
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Ryan Quarles did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
Quarles' campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
CONSERVATIVE VALUES Pro-Life, Pro-Gun, Pro-Family KEPT KENTUCKY OPEN Successfully fought Andy Beshear’s radical lockdowns SAFER, STRONGER KENTUCKY Tough on Crime, Support Police & First Responders and Fight the Drug Crisis IMPROVE EDUCATION Give Parents More Say While Supporting Students & Teachers CUT TAXES & GROW OUR ECONOMY Eliminate the Income Tax and Get Kentuckians Back in the Workforce ENERGY INDEPENDENCE Empower the people who keep Kentucky’s lights on ENDORSED BY KENTUCKY Over 200 GOP Public Servants Endorse Ryan![19] |
” |
| —Ryan Quarles' campaign website (2023)[20] | ||
2019
Ryan Quarles did not complete Ballotpedia's 2019 Candidate Connection survey.
2015
Quarles was running on the following themes, according to his campaign website:
| “ |
|
” |
| —Ryan Quarles' campaign website, (2015) | ||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Committee assignments
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Quarles served on the following committees:
| Kentucky committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Agriculture and Small Business |
| • Banking and Insurance |
| • Judiciary, Vice Chair |
| • Agriculture |
| • Banking and Insurance |
| • Judiciary |
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Quarles served on the following committees:
| Kentucky committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Agriculture and Small Business |
| • Banking and Insurance |
| • Judiciary, Vice chair |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Quarles served on the following committees:
| Kentucky committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Agriculture and Small Business |
| • Banking and Insurance |
| • Education |
| • Agriculture |
| • Banking and Insurance |
| • Education |
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
See also
2023 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner election," accessed November 4, 2015
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 LinkedIn, "Ryan Quarles," accessed February 25, 2023
- ↑ Ryan Quarles, "Home," accessed January 8, 2015
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Agriculture Commissioner," accessed November 4, 2015
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedprimary - ↑ 6.0 6.1 Agribusiness Industry Network Inc., "Kentucky Ag Commissioner Candidate Forum," February 2015
- ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, "First candidates forum for ag commissioner," January 7, 2015
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 CN2, "Down-ticket race, already looking past May primary, jumpstarts 2015 debate season," January 17, 2015
- ↑ Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, "Candidate Search Results," accessed May 5, 2015
- ↑ Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, "Candidate Search Results," accessed February 3, 2015
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings with the Office of the Secretary of State," accessed October 29, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Official 2014 Primary Election Results," accessed October 29, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Official 2014 General Election Results," accessed December 5, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Official 2012 Primary Election Results," accessed March 13, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Official 2012 General Election Results," accessed March 13, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections, "Official 2010 General Election Results," accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections, "Official 2010 Primary Election Results," accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections, "Official 2010 Primary Election Results," accessed April 30, 2014
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ryan Quarles for Governor, “On the Issues,” accessed February 24, 2023
- ↑ Quarles for Agriculture Commissioner, "Home," accessed February 6, 2015
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture 2016-2024 |
Succeeded by Jonathan Shell (R) |
| Preceded by - |
Member Kentucky House of Representatives District 62 2011-2015 |
Succeeded by - |
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