Latest news with #Webb
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Former Linda fire chief seeks seat on Yuba board
Retired Linda fire chief and U.S. Air Force veteran Rich Webb announced that he will run for Yuba County Board of Supervisors, District 1, representing the Linda and Edgewater communities. 'My entire adult life has revolved around service and giving back to this community I love,' Webb said. 'First through my service in the Air Force, then through 34 years as a local firefighter, and now as a volunteer for local service groups and organizations that support survivors of tragedy and our first responders.' Webb's career began at 20 years old when he enlisted in the Air Force, where he trained as a firefighter and an emergency medical technician. After his active duty service, he became a civilian firefighter at Beale Air Force Base and volunteered for the Linda Fire District. He was awarded Yuba County Fireman of Year in 1986, nominated for the Department of Defense Civilian Firefighter of the Year in 1987, promoted to Linda fire captain in 1990 and appointed Linda fire chief in 2000. He served as chief for 20 years and retired in 2020. Currently, Webb is the president of the Yuba Sutter Trauma Intervention Program, where he volunteers to provide support for survivors of tragedy in the region. He is the vice president of Marysville Kiwanis and has been a member for 17 years. Webb also volunteers for the Yuba-Sutter Food Bank and Adventist Health and Rideout, serves on the Yuba County Measure K Citizens' Oversight Committee, and as president of the Yuba County Community Services Commission, working to reduce poverty in the county. Webb is seeking the board seat of current District 1 supervisor Andy Vasquez, as he is not seeking reelection. Vasquez, who has served on the board since 2009, has endorsed Webb. 'Rich's background in public safety, his decades of service to Yuba County, his professionalism and his calm, level-headed demeanor are unmatched, and make him the perfect candidate to lead us into the future,' Vasquez said. Webb said that if he is elected as supervisor, he will continue to support business development and infrastructure improvements in Linda, prioritize county funds for public safety, work to decrease homelessness and transient activity, and 'strive to bring back a sense of community to Linda through neighborhood events and more activities for our youth and seniors.' 'Through decades of good planning and our amazing partnership with the Yuba Water Agency, Linda is thriving and Yuba County has the opportunity to become the top business, residential and tourism destination in the region,' Webb said. 'Now more than ever, it is critical that we elect leaders with a proven track record of leadership, professional success and giving back. I would be honored to continue to serve our community as your next supervisor.'
New York Post
16 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Kentucky Senate Democrat switches parties to GOP in major blow to liberal Gov Andy Beshear
Kentucky state Democratic Sen. Robin Webb, who represents Kentucky's rural 18th Senate district, is switching her party affiliation to Republican after she says the Democrat Party 'left me.' 'First and foremost, I'm a mother, a rancher and a lawyer with deep personal and professional roots in Kentucky's coal country,' Webb explained. 'As the Democratic Party continues its lurch to the left and its hyperfocus on policies that hurt workforce and economic development in my region, I no longer feel it represents my values. Advertisement Webb was originally elected to the Kentucky State House after defeating Republican Ramona Gee in 1998. This comes as a major blow to Kentucky Democrats, who have historically held a stronghold in rural regions of the state largely due to union workers and the coal industry. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear told a local Louisville news outlet that he 'would consider' a run as the Democratic nominee for president in 2028, and the newly elected Democratic governor and potential presidential candidate now faces an additional challenge to mobilize his state's party ahead of the 2026 midterms. 3 Democratic state Sen. Robin Webb speaks against a Republican tax proposal on Monday, April 2, 2018, in Frankfort, Ky. AP Advertisement 3 Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear speaks during the Semafor World Economy Summit 2025 at Conrad Washington on April 23, 2025 in Washington, DC. Getty Images 'Like countless other Kentuckians, [Webb] has recognized that the policies and objectives of today's Democratic Party are simply not what they once were, and do not align with the vast majority of Kentuckians,' Republican Party of Kentucky Chairman Robert Benvenuti said. 'I always respected that [Webb] approached issues in a very thoughtful and commonsense manner, and that she never failed to keenly focus on what was best for her constituents,' Benvenuti added. 'It is my pleasure to welcome Sen. Robin Webb to the Republican Party.' Despite Beshear serving in the governor's office, the attorney general's office, secretary of state and both chambers of the state legislature have a Republican majority. Advertisement 3 Webb was originally elected to the Kentucky State House after defeating Republican Ramona Gee in 1998. Kentucky General Assembly The Kentucky Democrat Party responded to Webb's party switch, saying 'she isn't a Democrat.' 'Senator Webb has chosen to join a political party that is currently working around the clock to take health care away from over a million Kentuckians, wipe out our rural hospitals, take food off the table of Kentucky families and take resources away from our public schools,' Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Colmon Elridge told Fox News Digital. 'If those are her priorities, then we agree: she isn't a Democrat.' Advertisement 'While it's cliché, it's true: I didn't leave the party — the party left me,' Webb said. Fox News Digital reached out to Gov. Beshear's office but did not receive a response.
Mint
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
Kentucky Senator Robin Webb switches to Republican Party, says Democrats 'no longer represent' her values
State Senator Robin Webb, a long-time lawmaker from Kentucky's 18th Senate district, has announced she is leaving the Democratic Party to join the Republicans. The decision marks a significant political shift in one of the state's key rural districts. Webb, who first entered politics by winning a State House seat in 1998, said her decision was shaped by a disconnect between her values and the direction of the Democratic Party. In a statement, Webb said, "First and foremost, I'm a mother, a rancher and a lawyer with deep personal and professional roots in Kentucky's coal country. As the Democratic Party continues its lurch to the left and its hyperfocus on policies that hurt workforce and economic development in my region, I no longer feel it represents my values." She added, 'While it's cliché, it's true: I didn't leave the party — the party left me.' Her defection comes as a blow to the Democratic Party in Kentucky, which has historically relied on support from working-class voters in rural and coal-producing areas. Democratic Party officials were quick to respond. Party Chair Colmon Elridge criticised the move, saying, 'Senator Webb has chosen to join a political party that is currently working around the clock to take health care away from over a million Kentuckians, wipe out our rural hospitals, take food off the table of Kentucky families and take resources away from our public schools. If those are her priorities, then we agree: she isn't a Democrat." Meanwhile, Republicans welcomed Webb with open arms. Republican state chairman Robert Benvenuti praised her decision, noting her practical approach to lawmaking and deep commitment to her constituents. The switch could have broader implications as Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat recently re-elected, considers a potential presidential run in 2028. Webb's departure signals further challenges for the party as it prepares for the 2026 midterm elections.
Toronto Star
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Rural Kentucky lawmaker announces switch to the GOP in the latest setback for Democrats
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A longtime state lawmaker announced Friday that she is switching parties, joining Republican supermajorities in the latest setback for Democrats trying to rebuild support across rural Kentucky. State Sen. Robin Webb, who represents a four-county swath of northeastern Kentucky, revealed she will join the ranks of GOP lawmakers who control the flow of legislation in the state. Webb was one of the last rural Democrats in Kentucky's legislature, and her defection leaves her ex-party more tethered to urban and suburban districts in a state with large stretches of rural territory controlled by the GOP.
San Francisco Chronicle
19 hours ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Rural Kentucky lawmaker announces switch to the GOP in the latest setback for Democrats
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A longtime state lawmaker announced Friday that she is switching parties, joining Republican supermajorities in the latest setback for Democrats trying to rebuild support across rural Kentucky. State Sen. Robin Webb, who represents a four-county swath of northeastern Kentucky, revealed she will join the ranks of GOP lawmakers who control the flow of legislation in the state. Webb was one of the last rural Democrats in Kentucky's legislature, and her defection leaves her ex-party more tethered to urban and suburban districts in a state with large stretches of rural territory controlled by the GOP. Webb said in a news release that she felt increasingly disconnected from the Democratic Party as it continued to 'lurch to the left." 'It has become untenable and counterproductive to the best interests of my constituents for me to remain a Democrat,' Webb said. 'I will continue to be a fearless advocate for rural Kentucky and for the residents of eastern Kentucky who have been so good to me and my family." Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Colmon Elridge said in a release that Webb chose to align with a political party attempting to fund tax breaks for the wealthy 'off the backs of vulnerable' people. It was a barbed reference to the multitrillion-dollar tax breaks package passed recently by U.S. House Republicans. To make up for some of the lost tax revenue, Republicans focused on changes to Medicaid and the food stamps program. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates 8.6 million fewer people would have health care coverage and 3 million less people a month would have SNAP food stamps benefits with the proposed changes. "If those are her priorities, then we agree: she isn't a Democrat,' Elridge said. "The only difference today is the letter next to my name,' she said. Webb has compiled a personal and professional resume deeply ingrained in Kentucky culture. She's a hunter, a horse enthusiast and a former coal miner who changed career paths to become an attorney. Webb first joined the Kentucky House in 1999, when Democrats controlled the chamber. She spent a decade as a state representative before joining the GOP-led Senate in 2009. Republicans seized total control of the legislature in the 2016 election, when they rode Donald Trump's coattails to win the Kentucky House. Republicans padded their legislative numbers in subsequent elections, giving them their overwhelming majorities. Republicans attained that dominance by winning in rural districts previously held by Democrats, but Webb's district had remained a blue dot on the map until Friday. Her party switch leaves Democrats mostly devoid of a rural presence in the legislature. One exception is Democratic state Rep. Ashley Tackett Laferty, who represents an Appalachian district. The state's two-term governor, Democrat Andy Beshear, won a number of rural counties and shrank GOP margins in others in his 2023 reelection. His popularity was built on the state's robust economic growth during his tenure and his handling of disasters, from tornadoes and floods to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kentucky Democrats are trying to spark a rural comeback with a grassroots strategy, evidenced by the state party's ongoing 'listening tour' with stops in culturally conservative towns across the state. State Republican Party Chairman Robert Benvenuti said Webb's party switch reflects a broader political trend. In 2022, the GOP overtook the Democratic Party in statewide voter registration. 'Like countless other Kentuckians, she has recognized that the policies and objectives of today's Democratic Party are simply not what they once were, and do not align with the vast majority of Kentuckians," he said. Lawmakers will begin their 2026 session in early January, but Beshear has said he will likely call lawmakers back for a special session sometime this year to take up storm-relief funding. Parts of southeastern Kentucky were devastated by deadly tornadoes earlier in May, while other parts of the Bluegrass State were inundated by flooding in April.
