Sannie Overly

Sannie Overly
Chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party
In office
February 2, 2016 – November 11, 2017
Preceded byPatrick Hughes
Succeeded byBen Self
Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives
from the 72nd district
In office
January 14, 2008 – January 1, 2019
Preceded byCarolyn Belcher
Succeeded byMatthew Koch
Personal details
Born
Sannie Louise Overly

(1966-07-02) July 2, 1966 (age 58)
Millersburg, Kentucky, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMichael Kalinyak
Children2
EducationUniversity of Kentucky (BS)
University of Louisville (JD)
Signature

Sannie Louise Overly (born July 2, 1966) is an American lawyer, engineer, and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, Overly served in the Kentucky House of Representatives, representing the 72nd district. She was the Democratic caucus chair from 2013 to 2017 (fifth-ranking in the majority), and is the first woman to serve in a leadership role in the Kentucky House. She was the Democratic Party nominee for lieutenant governor of Kentucky in 2015, and was elected chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party in 2016.

Early life and education

Overly was born in Millersburg, Kentucky, and graduated from Bourbon County High School.[1] Overly graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Engineering with a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering in 1989, and the University of Louisville School of Law with a Juris Doctor in 1993.[2]

Career

Overly served as president of the Bourbon County Bar Association and of the Paris–Bourbon County Historic Society.[3] She worked as an engineer for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.[4]

Overly ran in a special election to the Kentucky House of Representatives to succeed Carolyn Belcher as representative of the 72nd district. She won the election on January 8, 2008, and was sworn in on January 11.[3] In 2009, Greg Stumbo, the speaker of the Kentucky House, appointed Overly to chair the Budget Review Subcommittee, which has oversight over the state's roads.[5] She became the first woman to chair the budget subcommittee.[4] At the start of the 2013 session, Overly was elected caucus chair by her Democratic House colleagues, who chose her over incumbent chair Robert Damron, making her the first woman to hold a leadership position in the Kentucky House.[4][6]

Overly had considered running in the 2014 election against Republican Andy Barr to represent Kentucky's 6th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.[7] However, she instead ran for lieutenant governor of Kentucky on a ticket with Jack Conway in the 2015 gubernatorial election.[8] Conway and Overly lost the election to Matt Bevin and his running mate, Jenean Hampton.

In 2016, Overly was elected as the chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party.[9] She opted not to seek reelection to the Kentucky House in 2018.[10]

Personal life

Overly and her husband, Michael Kalinyak, live in Paris, Kentucky, and have two children.[3][11] Sannie Overly grew up on a farm in Millersburg, Kentucky.[1] She is involved in local cooperatives in her District. Overly is Friends of the Paris-Bourbon Co Library. Bourbon Co Alumni Assoc. UK Alumni Assoc. Paris-Bourbon Co Chamber of Commerce. Bourbon Co Homemakers. DAR, Jemima Johnson Chapter. Bluegrass Conservancy.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b "Welcome to Sannie Overly | Sannie Overly". www.sannieoverly.com. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  2. ^ Loftus, Tom. "Sannie Overly: From engineer to Conway's ticket". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "Overly sworn in as representative". The Bath County News-Outlook. January 16, 2008. p. 3. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  4. ^ a b c Brammer, Jack (January 8, 2013). "Kentucky House elects first woman to leadership post | Politics and Government". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  5. ^ Ellis, Ronnie (January 9, 2009). "Stumbo supporters rewarded with committee posts: Moberly out as budget chair; Pasley loses subcommittee post". News and Tribune. Archived from the original on October 17, 2013. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  6. ^ Colston, Kenny (January 8, 2013). "Sannie Overly First Woman Elected to Kentucky House Leadership". WFPL. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  7. ^ Alessi, Ryan (November 26, 2012). "The list: Rep. Overly, Sen. Palmer, Colmon Elridge mulling 6th Congressional Dist. race in '14". cn|2 Pure Politics. Retrieved January 6, 2013.
  8. ^ Ryan Alessi (May 5, 2014). "Jack Conway set to announce 2015 ticket for governor with Rep. Sannie Overly". Mycn2.com. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  9. ^ Cheves, John (January 30, 2016). "Kentucky Democrats choose state Rep. Sannie Overly as chairwoman". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  10. ^ "State Rep. Sannie Overly will not seek re-election".
  11. ^ Murphy, Renee (September 24, 2015). "Getting to Know Sannie Overly". WHAS-TV. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  12. ^ "House District 72". www.lrc.ky.gov. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
2015 		Succeeded by