Rick Nelson (politician)

Rick Nelson
Mayor of Middlesboro
In office
January 7, 2019 – January 2, 2023
Preceded byBill Kelley
Succeeded byBoone Bowling
Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives
from the 87th district
In office
January 1, 2001 – January 1, 2019
Preceded byJ. C. Ausmus
Succeeded byAdam Bowling
Personal details
Born (1954-06-11) June 11, 1954
Black Star Coal Camp, Kentucky, U.S.
PartyRepublican
Other political
affiliations
Democratic (2000–2019)
Independent (1998)
EducationCumberland College (BS)
Eastern Kentucky University (MA)
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with deprecated parameter "otherparty". Replace with "other_party".

Rick Gene Nelson (born June 11, 1954) is an American politician who was a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from 2001 to 2019. He represented the 87th district, which comprised Bell County and part of Harlan. He served as chairman of the Labor and Industry Committee from 2009 until Republicans won control of the house in 2016. He later served as mayor Middlesboro from 2019 to 2023.

He ran for Kentucky state treasurer in the 2015 elections to succeed term-limited Democratic incumbent Todd Hollenbach, but lost to Republican Allison Ball.

Nelson is a Republican candidate for Judge/Executive of Bell County in 2026.