John Breathitt

Who was John Breathitt?

John Breathitt was the 11th Governor of Kentucky. He was the first Democrat to hold this office and was the second Kentucky governor to die in office. Shortly after his death, Breathitt County, Kentucky was created and named in his honor.

Early in life, Breathitt was appointed a deputy surveyor in Illinois Territory. On his return to Kentucky, he taught at a country school, and through wise investments, amassed enough wealth to sustain him while he studied law with Judge Caleb Wallace. In 1811, he was elected to the first of several terms in the Kentucky House of Representatives. He was the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in 1828. Although his running mate William T. Barry lost the office of governor to Thomas Metcalfe, Breathitt defeated his opponent for lieutenant governor.

During his term as lieutenant governor, Breathitt was one of several proposed candidates to succeed John Rowan in the United States Senate, but the General Assembly deadlocked over the appointment and the seat went unfilled until the Assembly's next term. In the next gubernatorial election in 1832, Breathitt was the Democratic nominee for governor.