LOUISVILLE What was an incumbent standoff created by Republican redistricting in the Kentucky House has now led to an uncontested race for Rep. Josie Raymond as Rep. Mary Lou Marzian announces she is dropping out of the race, and ending her time in the legislature.
Marzian, a Democrat, has represented the 34th House District for 28 years, she was first elected in 1994.
“I am not going to play their sadistic and misogynist game of pitting Democratic women against each other,” Marzian said of the GOP redistricting map that placed Marzian and Rep. Josie Raymond in the same legislative district.
Rep. Lisa Willner and Rep. McKenzie Cantrell also had their two House Districts (35 and 38) combined in the newly formed House map this year. Cantrell lost most of her House District 38 to the new District 35 and choose to withdraw from the May Primary before the candidate filing day.
“I was a voice that the Republicans wanted to get rid of because they were afraid of truth to power,” she said in a news release. Marzian championed women and children’s issues, improving education, and was the first legislator to back LGBTQ+ issues.
Marzian tried to point out GOP hypocrisy on issues like abortion during her time in the House of Representatives. She made national news in 2016 for filing a bill that would have forced men who want to use erectile dysfunction drugs to jump through a series of humiliating hoops, such as visiting a doctor twice and getting notes from their wives. The bill also would require men to make a sworn statement with their hand on a Bible that they will only use a prescription for a drug for erectile dysfunction when having sexual relations with their current spouse.
Marzian’s name will still be on the May Primary ballot in Louisville, but none of the votes cast for her will count.
“I was truly honored to represent the wonderful people of Kentucky House District 34. This is not easy for anyone who loves Louisville and loves this Commonwealth,” Marzian said in a statement. “These Republicans are destroying the lives the women and children and they are decimating every aspect of Louisville.”
“It is up to the voters to take back their government.”
