FRANKFORT – Rep. Al Gentry. D-Louisville, has announced he is stepping down as the Kentucky House Democrats’ Caucus Chairman.
Rep. Lindsey Burke (D-Lexington) has been selected as the new House Democratic Caucus Chair. Burke previously served as House Democratic Whip. The new House Democratic Whip will be selected tomorrow by House Democrats.
Gentry said his move from his caucus leadership position will give him time to provide leadership as a senior advisor to a national leadership team preparing for a major new initiative in Adaptive Golf.
“I’m not at liberty to share specifics of this initiative, for proprietary reasons, but I can say that if launched successfully it will be the first of its kind,” Gentry said. “It will tremendously improve access and affordability for golfers with disabilities to participate in competitive adaptive golf events across the nation.”
Gentry has been a national leader in adaptive golf for decades. He has been inducted into two national golf halls of fame and has personally founded or directly inspired the founding of four separate non-profit entities. In 2015, he created the model, bylaws, and organizational structure of the United States Adaptive Golf Alliance (USAGA), which in ten years has grown to 57 organizational member institutions that provide an annual total of over 50,000 free lessons to people with disabilities and host over 40 competitive adaptive events for advanced golfers with disabilities across the United States. In 2019, Gentry co-authored the first-ever published competitive standards and ranking system for adaptive golf in the United States.
“Golf is medicine for people with disabilities, and we’ve proven that many times over by saving and inspiring thousands of lives,” Gentry said. “This new initiative will allow us to greatly boost all of those efforts, and I’m deeply honored to be asked to advise on this project.”
Gentry, who is serving in this fifth term representing the Kentucky’s 46th District, located in south-central Jefferson County, the state House of Representatives will continue serving as a state representative and said he intends to run for re-election in 2026.
“This new opportunity is a short-term, part-time position that will not affect my continued work in the Kentucky General Assembly, which I’m honored and proud to continue,” Gentry said. “It will, however, impact my time set aside for duties as Caucus Chairman. For that reason, out of respect for my colleagues and party, I felt it was necessary to step aside at year’s end to allow my successor plenty of time to transition properly. Since I will continue serving as a state representative, I will be accessible to my successor as Caucus Chair for any necessary input that may be warranted.”
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