Team

John McCarthy

Founder, Managing Partner

John McCarthy, Founder/Managing Partner of McCarthy Strategic Solutions, LLC is the most experienced and connected Republican lobbyist in Kentucky with over three decades of managing political, policy, and corporate operations at the highest levels. At every seminal moment of politics and policy in recent Kentucky history, John McCarthy has been squarely in the middle of shaping the Commonwealth’s future.

John opened his lobbying firm in 2005 after a long and successful career as a political operative and government official. He served as Chairman of the Republican Party of Kentucky in 2004 after serving as the Special Assistant to Governor Ernie Fletcher in 2003. Prior to joining the Fletcher Administration, John built a successful government affairs practice for a law firm and served as a senior-level government affairs official for Humana and Columbia HCA. In 1990, John volunteered on the reelection campaign of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Four years later, John managed one of the most consequential congressional campaigns in the nation, helping elect Ron Lewis to represent Kentucky’s Second Congressional District in a special election. That victory led to the Republican Party’s takeover of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Throughout his career, John has also served as a senior advisor on two successful gubernatorial campaigns and held leadership roles within the Republican Party of Kentucky. Over the past 25 years, he has become a trusted strategist and counselor to many of Kentucky’s most prominent Republican leaders. He played an active role in Republican efforts that led to the party gaining control of the Kentucky State Senate in 1999 and the Kentucky House of Representatives in 2016, helping build and expand Republican majorities in the Commonwealth.

At the same time, John cultivated and maintained strong relationships at every level of government—from Washington D.C. to Frankfort and in county courthouses across Kentucky. Reflecting his longstanding leadership within the party, he was elected by the Republican Party of Kentucky in August 2023 to serve as Kentucky’s National Committeeman on the Republican National Committee. John is an avid fundraiser and advisor to U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell, U.S. Senator Rand Paul, Congressman James Comer, Congressman Brett Guthrie, Congressman Andy Barr, Senate President Robert Stivers, and House Speaker David Osborne. There isn’t a better-connected Republican in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

If you are looking for the most loyal, connected Republican lobbyist who has a deep understanding of the complex policy issues shaping our state and nation, John McCarthy is the right counselor for you.

John is a graduate of Centre College. He lives in Louisville with his wife Cindy and their three daughters Austin, Eloise, and Charlotte. He volunteers his time to several charitable organizations in the community.

Email: [email protected]