Don Blandford

Don Blandford
Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives
In office
1985–1993
Preceded byBobby H. Richardson
Succeeded byJoe Clarke
Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives
from the 14th district
In office
January 1, 1968 – May 3, 1993
Preceded byR. E. Hale
Succeeded byMark Treesh
Personal details
Born
Donald Joseph Blandford

(1938-04-04) April 4, 1938 (age 86)
Owensboro, Kentucky, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
ResidencePhilpot, Kentucky

Donald Joseph Blandford (born April 4, 1938) is an American retired politician in the state of Kentucky. A Democrat, he was a longtime Kentucky state legislator and served as Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives until his indictment and conviction for bribery.

Born in Owensboro, Kentucky in 1938,[1][2] Blandford was a meat cutter (butcher) who lived in Philpot, Kentucky, and represented the 14th District in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1968 to 1993. In January 1985 Blandford unseated Speaker of the House Bobby H. Richardson to assume that office himself.

Blandford served as Speaker of the House for eight years, which at the time was a record.[vague] He played an essential role in the passage of major education reform legislation in 1990. He was considered a very strong, powerful and influential Speaker.[by whom?]

  1. ^ Sharp, James Roger; Sharp, Nancy Weatherly (1999). American Legislative Leaders in the South, 1911-1994. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 9780313302138. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  2. ^ "Who's who in the South and Southwest". 1991.