Kentucky House Democratic Caucus Leader Derrick Graham will not run for reelection in 2024, he announced Friday.?

Graham, a Frankfort Democrat, said in a statement that, “I feel strongly that now is the time to give someone else the chance to be our next state representative, a job I have loved since first being elected in 2002.”?

“Whether in office or out, I will never stop doing all I can for the community I love and that made me who I am today,” Graham said. “There’s no better place to work, live and – as I’ll soon find out – retire.”

Several of Graham’s colleagues have made similar announcements that they’re leaving state government in recent days. They include Sen. Denise Harper Angel, D-Louisville, Rep. Josie Raymond, D-Louisville, and Rep. Kevin Bratcher, R-Louisville.?

Graham will “enjoy retirement” with his wife, Mildred, he said.?

“Being an elected official takes a lot of your time, and your family pays that price as well,” he said.? “I promised my wife that I would begin to scale that back so we can truly enjoy our retirement, and this decision will fulfill that goal.”???

Graham made history in 2022 when he became the first Black Kentuckians to head a House of Representatives legislative caucus.?