When the state lawmaking session begins January 2nd, it'll be the last one for several legislators, including Kentucky Senate Majority floor leader Damon Thayer, a Georgetown Republican who announced yesterday that he won't seek reelection.

And part one of our interview last night.

He said he could make a run for governor or other federal elected office in the future.

Tonight, he gives us his take on who should take on his leadership role.

So when you leave and you take your role as majority leader with you, who do you want to replace you?

Well, I don't have a vote, right?

I don't have a vote on who the next majority floor leader is.

But I do have influence.

Well, I'm encouraging Julie Adams, Julie Rocky Adams to run for the job.

Who's the current caucus chair?

The current caucus chair.

Senator from Jefferson 36.

She's like a sister to me and I adore her and I will miss her.

And a lot of my friends in the caucus, I'm want to miss her a lot.

We've been really good running buddies since we both got into leadership, and I think she has the skill set to be a great majority floor leader and she doesn't have to be like me.

She doesn't have to be like leader Rudy in the House.

She has to be like Julie, Right.

And I think she can do the job and create her own set of rules for how the job is done.

She she has better than me an intuition about the personalities of each of our caucus members.

She's she's an empath and I'm not.

Let's get that clear.

Let's get that clear.

Awareness and acknowledgment is a step to recovery, right?

Yes.

Self-awareness is a wonderful thing.

It happens when you hit your fifth horse.

It sure does.

And, you know, Julie is she is really good at sensing what's on our members minds.

She understands the whole process.

Because she's moved the caucus in a direction perhaps, that they would not have gone without her influence.

That's true.

And she's also taken some tough votes.

She's taken some tough votes for her district.

Mm hmm.

Because the majority of the caucus wanted it that way.

So there is much more that Senate majority floor leader Damien Thayer has to say.

And you can hear it and see it all Sunday on my conversation series Connections.

We'll share the full half hour interview with him at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, 10:30 a.m. Central right here on KCET.

Check it out.

The Republican Party of Kentucky released a statement following Thayer's announcement saying, quote, Leader Thayer has been a relentless champion for conservative legislation and causes since the day he became Senate majority leader 12 years ago.

His decision to step down will leave big shoes to fill in the Senate and in Scott County.

We are incredibly grateful for his service to the Commonwealth.

We will miss his energetic warrior for the Republican Party and our state and quote, Governor Andy Beshear is also commenting on Senator Thayer's announcement that he is not seeking reelection.

Last session got some really important things through that are having such a huge benefit.

I hope that we can have a good, I guess, what will be final session with him as floor leader and get some real things accomplished in his last session or our first session of these next four years.

Thayer is one of a number of prominent lawmakers who said they would not be running in 2024.

Here is what the governor had to say about losing House and Senate leadership members.

I hope each and every one of those lawmakers is proud of the work that they have done and are looking forward to staying involved in some form or fashion.

You want to be a lawmaker in Frankfort to make a difference.

There's lots of things going on in local communities, so we certainly wish them the best.

And maybe it gives an opportunity for a mixture of some senior experience members as well as new members and new energy.

In addition to Senator Thayer, nine other lawmakers have announced they are not seeking reelection.