{{Short description|American politician}} {{for|the professional wrestler with Reginald Thomas as a ring name|Reggie (wrestler)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Reginald L. Thomas | image = | alt = | caption = | state_senate = Kentucky | district = 13th | term_start = January 7, 2014 | term_end = <!-- present --> | predecessor = Kathy Stein | successor = <!-- incumbent --> | birth_name = Reginald L. Thomas | birth_date = {{birth date and age text|May 20, 1953}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | party = Democratic | spouse = Lynda Morris Thomas (1980-2015) | children = 3 | alma_mater = Dartmouth College<br>Harvard Law School | occupation = | profession = attorney, law professor | website = {{URL|http://www.reggie4ky.com/|Reggie Thomas for Congress}} | branch = }}
'''Reginald L. Thomas''' (born May 20, 1953) is an American politician from the state of Kentucky. A member of the Democratic Party, Thomas is a member of the Kentucky Senate and currently serves as the minority caucus chair.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.kentucky.com/2013/12/10/2981505/democrat-reginald-thomas-wins.html | title = Democrat Reginald Thomas wins state Senate special election | work = Kentucky.com | date = December 10, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Latek |first1=Tom |title=State Dems re-elect McGarvey, Parrett as minority leaders |url=https://kentuckytoday.com/stories/state-dems-re-elect-mcgarvey-parrett-as-minority-leaders,29353 |website=Kentuckytoday.com |access-date=August 4, 2021}}</ref> Thomas' election in 2013 marked the first time that two African Americans served in the Kentucky Senate concurrently.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20131210/NEWS01/312100101/Republicans-move-closer-to-taking-control-of-House?odyssey=tab%7Cmostpopular%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE | title = Republicans move closer to taking control of House | work = The Courier-Journal | date = December 10, 2013}}</ref> Thomas is an attorney and law professor; he earned an A.B. degree from Dartmouth College in 1975 and a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School in 1978.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.lrc.ky.gov/legislator/S013.htm | title = Senate District 13: Reginald Thomas (D) | publisher = Kentucky Legislature | access-date = July 24, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.kentucky.com/2013/11/22/2947912/questions-surround-candidates.html | title = Questions surround candidate's 1984 departure from University of Kentucky | work = Lexington Herald Leader | date = November 22, 2013}}</ref>
On July 1, 2017, Thomas announced he would challenge Representative Andy Barr in Kentucky's 6th congressional district during the 2018 midterm elections.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article159248309.html|title=Thomas announces he'll challenge Barr for House of Representatives seat in 2018|work=Lexington Herald-Leader|last=Desrochers|first=Daniel|date=July 1, 2017|access-date=July 1, 2017}}</ref> He lost the Democratic primary to Amy McGrath, who then lost the general election to Barr.
In 2021, Thomas went viral with a TikTok video receiving more than 4 million views of himself singing the song Rick and Morty by Soulja Boy with the caption "Rapping Rick and Morty to the Senate Chambers until we raise the minimum raise in Kentucky".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thalen |first=Mikael |date=September 1, 2021 |title=Kentucky Dem raps 'Rick & Morty' to try and raise the minimum wage |url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/kentucky-senate-dems-tiktok-rick-morty/ |access-date=April 23, 2024 |website=The Daily Dot |language=en-US}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * [http://www.reggie4ky.com/ Reggie Thomas for Congress campaign site] * [http://www.lrc.ky.gov/legislator/S013.htm Senate District 13: Reginald Thomas (D)] at Kentucky Legislature * [http://kysenatedems.com/senators/reginald-thomas/ Reginald Thomas] at Kentucky Senate Democrats website * [http://votesmart.org/candidate/135575 Reginald Thomas] at Project Vote Smart * [http://ballotpedia.org/Reggie_Thomas Reggie Thomas] at Ballotpedia
{{Kentucky State Senators}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Reggie}} Category:1953 births Category:Living people Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Democratic Party Kentucky state senators Category:21st-century members of the Kentucky General Assembly Category:Dartmouth College alumni Category:Harvard Law School alumni Category:Politicians from Lexington, Kentucky Category:African-American Methodists Category:21st-century African-American politicians Category:Candidates in the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections Category:African-American state legislators in Kentucky
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