How much weight should a criminal record carry when choosing a lawmaker?
Voters in Kentucky’s 44th House District are about to decide. All three candidates in the 2026 Democratic primary — incumbent Rep. Beverly Chester-Burton, Jesten Slaw, and Kenya Wade — have had legal issues between 2019 and 2025 that resulted in convictions. The candidates have largely avoided discussing these matters in campaign materials, though some addressed them publicly for the first time with The Courier Journal.
Beyond their shared legal histories, the candidates come from very different backgrounds. Chester-Burton is a former Shively mayor and two-term representative, backed by former state Rep. Joni Jenkins. Slaw is an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan and Korea. He also graduated from the University of Louisville’s Louis D. Brandeis School of Law and sits on several nonprofit boards. Wade, a former social worker, founded Cyclebreakers Breaking Chains Inc. in 2020 after her daughter was injured in a shooting, aiming to combat gun violence in the city.
With no Republican challenger, one of the three Democrats will almost certainly represent the more than 45,000 residents of District 44. Despite their convictions, each candidate argues their past should not disqualify them and urges voters to focus on their future.
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District 44 candidates’ criminal histories
A candidate’s criminal past has long been a contentious issue in American politics. While some states, including Kentucky, bar individuals with felony convictions from holding office, history shows that people with criminal records — even felonies — have still been elected. A recent example is President Donald Trump.
The sitting president was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records in 2024, the same year he won a second term, becoming the first former president convicted of a felony. Trump has denied the allegations and pursued appeals in federal courts with limited success.
Although Kentucky’s Constitution prohibits individuals with felony convictions from holding office, all three District 44 candidates remain eligible. Chester-Burton and Wade were convicted of misdemeanors, while Slaw’s felony could be dismissed if he completes an intervention program.
Court records show Chester-Burton was arrested for driving under the influence in 2024, her second DUI in five years after a 2021 incident while serving as Shively mayor. She entered an Alford plea, maintaining her innocence while acknowledging sufficient evidence for conviction, and served 10 days of home incarceration.
Chester-Burton declined to discuss the details of her case, stating her record in office speaks for itself.
“The people who really know who I am will continue to support me,” she said. “Again, anybody’s misfortunes one day could very well be yours or somebody else’s tomorrow.”
Slaw faced arrest in February 2025 on charges of domestic violence, first-degree strangulation, and fourth-degree assault following an altercation with the mother of his child. He later pleaded guilty, with charges reduced and diverted pending completion of a domestic violence intervention program.
When asked about the case, Slaw described it as a “very personal matter” and emphasized his long-standing community service.
“If the incident or the event stops me from maybe getting public office, I understand that life’s about challenges,” Slaw said. “But it certainly won’t stop me from doing what I believe is right or following through on my connection and promise with God, which is helping people.”
A jury convicted Wade of first-degree official misconduct in 2022 related to a 2019 incident while she worked at the Kentucky State Reformatory in Oldham County. She was accused of engaging in explicit phone conversations with an inmate, a convicted serial rapist.
Wade denies wrongdoing. She acknowledged speaking with the inmate and said she “ended up liking this guy,” adding that she attempted to contact human resources after a supervisor monitored her calls and threatened to report her.
“My supervisor — she went, she threatened me, told me she was gonna go to (employee assistance) on me,” Wade said. “She had no reason to go to EA; I hadn’t done anything.”
Wade also filed a federal lawsuit against the Kentucky Department of Corrections, alleging racial discrimination and retaliation, which resulted in a $5,000 settlement in 2022.
“I intimidate sadly a lot of White women,” Wade said. “My beauty, my intelligence, my competence intimidates people who think they know me. The way I carry myself is a magnet, too, because I’m Black, I’m supposed to carry myself in a specific way.”
She also faced charges in 2025 for speeding, failing to produce insurance, and having an expired registration.
All three candidates shared a similar stance: their pasts should not define them, and voters who know them will continue their support.
Manny Clark, a Shively resident and advocate for restoring voting rights to felons, said context matters when evaluating a candidate’s record.
“We are humans,” Clark said. “And at some point, you know, some get caught, get charged, and the other point, some get away. (These candidates) got caught and they learn from it, and they learn from their past mistakes.”
Clark, who cannot vote due to a 1996 felony conviction, said it remains one of his biggest regrets. He expressed empathy for the candidates and believes voters may relate to their experiences.
“To be able to see that a person that is in your district is not a God, like people project to be, to be able to see that they are human, and humans are not perfect,” Clark said. “We all have faults.”
What are the candidates’ priorities?
Each candidate brings different priorities and perspectives on working with the Republican supermajority in Frankfort.
Chester-Burton, the most experienced candidate, said passing Democratic-backed legislation remains challenging. She noted that during her time in office, she has learned to work across party lines.
“Everybody wants to hear their bill come to the floor,” she said. “And there are so many of us, and you’re lucky if you get one, okay? With us being in the minority and not the majority, you’re lucky if you get one.”
She hopes to reintroduce a back-to-school tax holiday, a policy adopted in many neighboring states.
“Everybody’s looking for a break,” she said. “Everybody’s trying to save some money in whatever capacity that they can. And so the tax holiday bill is very near and dear to my heart.”
Chester-Burton also emphasized her experience as a key advantage.
“I know what the issues are,” she said. “I know how to build relationships. I know how to work across all lines, Republican, conservative, independent. I know how to have a seat at the table. And if I don’t have a seat at the table, then I bring my own chair.”
Slaw, who has supported campaigns for U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker and Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, said he plans to focus on “kitchen table” issues affecting both urban and rural communities.
“What I start out with is working on the things that make sense for not only my district, but for all people, right?” Slaw said. “And that’s getting rid of poverty, that’s a problem in all counties and cities in Kentucky. So that’s a problem that I think Republicans will be eager to solve as well as Democrats.”
He also highlighted his faith-based approach to policymaking, noting he wants to bring discussions of religion more openly into Democratic politics.
“It’s almost like the Republicans believe in God and the Democrats don’t,” Slaw said. “But I know that there’s tons of Democrats who believe in Jesus and God, they just never talk about it.”
Slaw said he supports Democratic priorities such as changes to teacher certification and universal pre-K, a key initiative of Gov. Andy Beshear.
Wade, by contrast, said she prioritizes civil rights and issues directly affecting diverse communities in District 44. She expressed frustration with Democratic leadership in Frankfort, citing a lack of action on youth violence and sentencing policies.
“I need to be where the laws are being created,” Wade said. “Because everything that starts in Frankfort, it trickles down to the Metro Council.”
While she has not outlined specific legislation, Wade said she wants to improve after-school programs and community spaces to help reduce violence.
With no Republican opponent, one of the three Democrats will advance to Frankfort next year unless an unexpected write-in campaign emerges.
Clark said voters should focus on candidates’ futures rather than their pasts.
“This may be the deciding factor that people will be like, ‘well, OK, all three of these people get criminal convictions, which one do I feel comfortable with, despite the conviction?’” Clark said. “If we can’t forgive each other, like God forgives us, then what’s the purpose of rehabilitation? What’s the purpose of changing our lives? What’s the purpose of a second chance?”
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