REPUBLIC BANCORP INC /KY/

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )

Filed by the Registrant⌧

Filed by a Party other than the Registrant◻

Check the appropriate box:

◻Preliminary Proxy Statement

◻Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))

⌧Definitive Proxy Statement

◻Definitive Additional Materials

◻Soliciting Material under §240.14a-12

Republic Bancorp, Inc.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

⌧No fee required.

◻Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

◻Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a6(i)(1) and 0-11

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2026 PROXY STATEMENT &

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

Republic Bank Building, Lower Level

9600 Brownsboro Road

Louisville, Kentucky 40241

MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE CHAIR

March 13, 2026

Dear Fellow Shareholders,

You are cordially invited to attend the 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Republic Bancorp, Inc. (“Republic”) (the “Annual Meeting”). The Annual Meeting will be held at our Springhurst location, 9600 Brownsboro Road, Louisville, Kentucky 40241 on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

The attached Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Notice of Meeting”) and Proxy Statement, as well as the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials we are sending in the mail, describe the formal business to be conducted at the Annual Meeting. Members of our Board of Directors and Executive Officers will be present at the Annual Meeting to respond to questions that our shareholders may have.

We have elected to provide access to our proxy materials over the Internet under the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s “notice and access” rules. We are constantly focused on improving the ways our shareholders connect with information about Republic and believe that providing our proxy materials over the Internet increases the ability of our shareholders to connect with the information they need, while simultaneously reducing (i) the environmental impact and (ii) printing and mailing costs of our Annual Meeting.

Our Board of Directors has determined that the proposals to be considered at the Annual Meeting, as described in the attached Notice of Meeting and Proxy Statement, as well as in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, are in the best interests of Republic and its shareholders. For the reasons set forth in the Proxy Statement, the Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote:

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Whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, please vote and submit your proxy as soon as possible via the Internet, by telephone, or, if you have requested to receive printed proxy materials, by mailing a proxy or voting instruction card enclosed with those materials. Your vote is important.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and the officers and associates of Republic, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our shareholders for your continued support.

​​Chairman of the Board of Directors​

By Order of the Board of Directors,Steven E. TragerExecutive Chair & Chief Executive OfficerRepublic Bancorp, Inc.

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

To Our Shareholders:

You are cordially invited to attend the 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Republic Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”). The following are details for the meeting:

We are mailing a Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials (the “Notice”) to many of our common shareholders instead of paper copies of our proxy statement (the “Proxy Statement”) and our annual report to shareholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 (“Annual Report”). The Notice contains instructions on how to access those documents over the Internet. The Notice also contains instructions on how common shareholders can receive a paper copy of our (i) proxy materials, including the Proxy Statement, (ii) Annual Report, and (iii) proxy card.

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Your vote is important. For holders of Class A common stock or Class B common stock, whether or not you plan to attend the Annual Meeting, we urge you to vote as soon as possible. Promptly voting will help ensure that the greatest number of common shareholders are present whether in person or by proxy. You may vote in person at the Annual Meeting, over the Internet, by telephone, or, if you requested to receive printed proxy materials, by mailing a proxy or voting instruction card enclosed with those materials. Please review the instructions with respect to each of your voting options described in the Proxy Statement and the Notice.

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