Brent Yonts
Yonts at an event in Greenville, Kentucky, in 2015
Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from the 15th district
In office January 1, 1997 – January 1, 2017
Preceded by	Charles Nelson
Succeeded by	Melinda Gibbons Prunty
Personal details
Born	(1949-03-21)March 21, 1949 Greenville, Kentucky, U.S.
Died	August 20, 2021(2021-08-20) (aged 72) Owensboro, Kentucky, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Jan Yonts
Children	3
Alma mater	Murray State University University of Kentucky College of Law
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army Adjutant General's Corps
Years of service	1971–1973
Rank	First Lieutenant

Brent Yonts (March 21, 1949 – August 20, 2021) was an American politician and a Democratic member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from District 15.^[1] He took office in 1997 and was defeated for re-election in 2016 by Republican Melinda Gibbons Prunty.

Yonts died from COVID-19 at a hospital in Owensboro, Kentucky, on August 20, 2021, aged 72.^[2]

Education

Yonts earned his BS from Murray State University, and his JD from the University of Kentucky College of Law.

Elections

• 1994 Yonts ran in the District 15 1994 Democratic Primary, but lost to Charles Nelson, who went on to win the November 8, 1994 General election.
• 1996 When Representative Nelson left the Legislature and left the seat open, Yonts won the six-way 1996 Democratic Primary and won the November 5, 1996 General election against Republican nominee Marshall Prunty.
• 1998 Yonts was unopposed for both the 1998 Democratic Primary and the November 3, 1998 General election.
• 2000 Yonts was unopposed for both the 2000 Democratic Primary^[3] and the November 7, 2000 General election, winning with 9,448 votes.^[4]
• 2002 Yonts was unopposed for both the 2002 Democratic Primary^[5] and the November 5, 2002 General election, winning with 8,348 votes.^[6]
• 2004 Yonts was unopposed for both the 2004 Democratic Primary^[7] and the November 2, 2004 General election, winning with 10,259 votes.^[8]
• 2006 Yonts unopposed for the 2006 Democratic Primary^[9] and won the November 7, 2006 General election with 9,315 votes (71.6%) against Republican nominee Matthew Oates.^[10]
• 2008 Yonts was challenged in the 2008 Democratic Primary, winning with 5,805 votes (69.4%)^[11] and was unopposed for the November 4, 2008 General election, winning with 12,275 votes.^[12]
• 2010 Yonts was unopposed for both the May 18, 2010 Democratic Primary^[13] and the November 2, 2010 General election, winning with 8,288 votes.^[14]
• 2012 Yonts and returning 1996 Republican opponent Marshall Prunty were both unopposed for their May 22, 2012 primaries,^[15] setting up a rematch; Yonts won the November 6, 2012 General election with 8,696 votes (56.0%) against Prunty.^[16]
• 2016 Yonts was defeated in the general election by Melinda Gibbons Prunty (wife of Marshall Prunty), who carried 57.1% of the vote.^[17]