| Bob Leeper | |
| State Senate: | Kentucky |
| District: | 2nd |
| Term Start: | January 1, 1991 |
| Term End: | January 1, 2015 |
| Predecessor: | Helen Garrett |
| Successor: | Danny Carroll |
| Birth Name: | Robert J. Leeper |
| Birth Date: | 8 December 1958 |
| Nationality: | American |
| Party: | Independent |
| Residence: | Paducah, Kentucky |
| Alma Mater: | Paducah Community College Sherman College of Chiropractic |
| Profession: | Chiropractor |
| Otherparty: | Democratic Party (pre-2000)Republican Party |
Robert J. "Bob" Leeper (born December 8, 1958) is an American independent politician and chiropractor. He was a member of the Kentucky State Senate from 1991 to 2015 retiring to run for McCracken County Judge-Executive.[1] [2] In 2014, he was elected Judge-Executive of McCracken County, but chose not to seek reelection in 2018.[3]
Leeper attended Paducah Community College and Sherman College of Chiropractic.[4]
Prior to serving in the Kentucky State Senate, Leeper was a city commissioner in Paducah.[5]
Originally a Democrat, Leeper joined the Republican Party in 2000, and became a political independent later in the decade. Leeper has been described as an "ultra-conservative independent", and was known in the legislature for his opposition to expanded gambling.[6] In 2012, he mounted an unsuccessful candidacy to serve as president of the Kentucky State Senate.[7] He decided against re-election in 2014 and ran for McCracken County Judge-Executive.
In 2014, Leeper was elected Judge-Executive of McCracken County.[8] In 2018, he faced criticism over the termination of Paducah Economic Development president and CEO Scott Darnell, and issued a statement saying he would not answer questions about the matter.[9] He did not seek reelection in 2018.
In 2020, he was honored with the opening of the Bob Leeper Bridge, a 110-foot pedestrian bridge in McCracken County.