Josh Calloway
Josh Calloway is an American politician from Kentucky. A member of the Republican Party, he has been a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives since January 2021. He represents Kentucky's 10th House district, which includes Breckenridge and Hardin counties.
Early life and education
Calloway was born February 3, 1979. He grew up in Fordsville, Kentucky, but currently resides in Irvington. He earned a certification in health and safety from Eastern Kentucky University.Career
Prior to entering politics, he worked for the National Office Furniture and the Protech EIS Corporation. He has also been a preacher, volunteer jail chaplain, music director, and piano player at Pleasant View Baptist Church. As of 2019, he was also director of Hope Through Truth Ministries and the Hope Academy, a transitional living home for at-risk men.Political career
Calloway was elected from Kentucky's 10th House district, which includes Breckenridge and Hardin counties.Elections
- 2018: Calloway was unopposed in the 2018 Republican primary but was defeated in the 2018 Kentucky House of Representatives election by incumbent Dean Schamore.
- 2020: Calloway was unopposed in the 2020 Republican primary and won the 2020 Kentucky House of Representatives election against incumbent Dean Schamore, winning with 11,624 votes.
- 2022: Calloway was unopposed in the 2022 Republican primary and won the 2022 Kentucky House of Representatives election against independent candidate John Whipple, winning with 11,516 votes.
- 2024: Calloway won the 2024 Republican primary against challenger Julie Cantwell, winning with 2,773 votes, and won the 2024 Kentucky House of Representatives election with 15,702 votes against Democratic candidate John Whipple.
Tenure
In 2024, he criticized Governor Andy Beshear for issuing an executive order to ban conversion therapy for LGBT youth. Calloway said the order defied the will of the legislature. Republican lawmakers had repeatedly blocked efforts to ban conversion therapy.
In 2024, Calloway introduced legislation to propose an amendment to the Kentucky Constitution to allow public funds to be allocated to charter schools. The state constitution currently allows education appropriations to go to "common schools" only, which the Kentucky Supreme Court has interpreted to mean public schools.