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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Who is running for Central Kentucky's 6th District Congressional seat? See the list
Rep. Andy Barr has been a steady presence in his 12-plus years as congressman for the Central Kentucky-based 6th Congressional District. Now, as he eyes winning a seat in the U.S. Senate in 2026, the primaries to replace him are becoming the most crowded of any in recent Kentucky history. Three candidates on each side of the aisle have signed up to run for Barr's seat, which is seen as leaning Republican but within reach for Democrats. Among them are two current state representatives, a former state representative, a former Lexington councilperson and a former state senator. All have some amount of name ID and all have shown some ability to fundraise. So far, their messages on the issues have been similar. The Republicans have hewn closely to President Donald Trump, and the Democrats have largely decried the president's actions. The 6th Congressional District is anchored by Fayette County, which makes up about 44% of its population. The county's centrality is a part of the reason why, with Barr gone, some Democrats think they could flip the district blue for the first time since 2012. Fayette County has reliably voted Democrat in most recent elections. The other counties in the 6th Congressional District, in order of population, are: Madison, Scott, Jessamine, Montgomery, Woodford, Mercer, Bourbon, Garrard, Fleming, Estill, Powell and Nicholas. Aside from Fayette, the other counties in the district generally lean Republican. Here's who is running for the 6th Congressional District seat: Deanna Gordon, Richmond Republican A four-term state representative whose district covers much of the growing Madison County community, Gordon threw her hat in the ring in early July. She called herself a 'true Trump MAGA voice' in her announcement, emphasizing her support for job growth and her opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and 'transgender ideology.' An audiologist by trade, Gordon helped build Bluegrass Hearing, a company that grew to become the largest of its kind in the state. She sold in 2018. Gordon, 55, has focused her early messaging on her small business background, saying she would serve the 'working class, not the Wall Street elite.' Gordon's entry into Kentucky politics started with a bang. She defeated C. Wesley Morgan, a controversial politician who ruffled feathers within the party ranks, in a GOP primary contest in 2018 and survived a tight challenge — winning by just 24 votes — in the general election against Morgan Eaves, who is now the executive director of the Kentucky Democratic Party. Since gaining office, Gordon has kept a relatively low profile in the General Assembly, serving on various committees and paying close attention to local issues like the disarmament process at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Madison County. Cherlynn Stevenson, Lexington Democrat Former state Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson was the first of three Democrats to jump in the race for the 6th Congressional District. Stevenson, 48, of Lexington, has staked her candidacy on knowing how to win a Republican-leaning district. She served in one of the few politically 'purple' districts in the state, winning tight election after tight election, before losing to Vanessa Grossl, R-Georgetown, by a narrow margin in 2024. Before being unseated, Stevenson was seen as a likely candidate to become the top Democrat in the state House. Stevenson has secured the endorsements of several key Central Kentucky Democrats, most notably Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman. The list also includes Fayette County Attorney Angela Evans, state Sen. Reggie Thomas and several of her former colleagues in the state House. She has been sharply critical of Trump's economic policies in her campaign and believes that a backlash to those decisions will help Democrats in the general election. 'You know, we see tariffs that are hurting our local economies and threatening a lot of jobs. We see people that are worried that the Social Security benefits aren't going to be there, that Medicaid and Medicare are in danger,' Stevenson said. Stevenson led the Democrats in fundraising as of June 30 with about $168,000 on hand. Ralph Alvarado, Winchester Republican Ralph Alvarado is the latest Republican to have thrown his hat into the ring for the 6th Congressional District. The former state senator from Winchester, a doctor by trade, was a mainstay in Kentucky politics before he took a role leading the Tennessee Department of Health in 2023. Alvarado's political career began with a history-making win in 2014 when he became the first Hispanic member of the Kentucky General Assembly. He got a big boost later when he was the only Hispanic person to speak at the Republican National Convention in 2016, the year Trump first assumed office, and then was tapped as former Gov. Matt Bevin's running mate in 2019. Though Bevin lost, Alvarado, 55, remained in the General Assembly, chairing his Senate Health & Welfare Committee before taking the role in Tennessee. In his announcement for office, Alvarado pitched himself as a 'reinforcement' for Trump in Congress who would prioritize border security. 'Kentuckians are fed up with open borders, sky-high prices, and unelected bureaucrats who trample our freedoms. I'm running for Congress to fight for working families, stop the invasion at our southern border once and for all, and fight the woke agenda,' Alvarado said. David Kloiber, Lexington Democrat Also running with strong political ties in Lexington is former city Councilman David Kloiber. Kloiber has emphasized the importance of increasing access to affordable housing, alleviating high costs of health care, creating jobs and providing quality public education in his run. He's also struck a somewhat less Trump-oriented message than his Democratic peers. 'All politics is local,' Kloiber said. 'And too often we get caught up in national things that might not even impact us.' The former councilman runs the Kloiber Foundation, a nonprofit providing students and teachers in Fayette County Public Schools and surrounding counties with necessary technology. Kloiber also helps manage his family trust, which is likely worth more than $1 billion, according to a Herald-Leader story from the 2022 campaign. His father put $310 million in the trust in 2008, funds earned from his share of the sale of a Lexington company. Kloiber ran unsuccessfully against Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton in 2022. As of June 30, Kloiber was not far behind Stevenson in the fundraising race. He had $135,000 at that time, thanks in large part to personal loans he has given his campaign. Ryan Dotson, Winchester Republican Rep. Ryan Dotson, R-Winchester, has tried to establish himself as the furthest right of any in the race. 'The people, especially true conservatives, are tired of politics as usual. They're looking for a candidate who's real, who's not a career politician,' Dotson said. 'Everybody that comes into this race will be to my left, and people will know that.' The first to enter the race, Dotson had been hinting at his interest for some time before Barr announced his intentions to seek the U.S. Senate seat. He has held his statehouse seat representing Clark County and a portion of South Fayette County since 2021 Dotson, 52, is a businessman and pastor. His church is in Winchester, and he's owned franchise restaurants as well as local businesses. In the General Assembly, Dotson helped lead the fight in 2022 for a bill to ban transgender women from women's sports at public schools and universities, overcoming Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's veto. Two years later, he successfully sponsored a bill that struck down local ordinances in Lexington and Louisville that protected the right of tenants to use federal low-income housing vouchers, such as Section 8 vouchers. Again, his bill overcame a veto from Beshear. As of June 30, Dotson had $94,198. The majority of the money he raised came via loans from his own pocketbook. Zach Dembo, Lexington Democrat Zach Dembo is a former federal prosecutor and U.S. Navy veteran running as a Democrat for the 6th Congressional District. Like his Democratic competitors, Dembo is focusing the early days of his campaign on jobs, pushing back on the cuts to Medicaid that were recently enacted, and doing more to strengthen the economy and help cost of living issues in Central Kentucky. Dembo, 39, has pitched his public service background as the distinguishing factor in the Democratic primary. In addition to his service to the federal government, he also worked in Beshear's office during the governor's first time. He said he left his role as a federal prosecutor over dissatisfaction with how the Department of Justice was operating under Trump. 'I resigned because I couldn't in good principle serve in this administration, with the corruption and with them playing politics with the department and the justice system,' Dembo said. Dembo has not held elected office, unlike the other five candidates running. He is a Lexington native who has lived in the area since early 2020.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Who's in, who's out: Meet the candidates running for Kentucky's 6th Congressional District
The race for Kentucky's 6th Congressional District is getting crowded on both sides of the aisle. After U.S. Rep. Andy Barr announced a bid to replace outgoing U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, candidates quickly began throwing their names into the ring to take his seat representing Central Kentucky. The district hasn't had an open seat in more than a dozen years, with many seeing the 2026 election as a rare chance to run for federal office. Here's a look at who is — and who isn't — running for the seat. Stay up to date: Sign up for the Courier Journal's On Kentucky Politics newsletter Who's in? Ralph Alvarado (R) Ralph Alvarado is a former state senator and ex-Gov. Matt Bevin's running mate in his unsuccessful 2019 reelection campaign. He made history as the first Hispanic person elected to the Kentucky General Assembly when he won his seat in 2014. After serving in the state Senate, he was hired as Tennessee's health commissioner by Gov. Bill Lee in 2022 and stepped down from the position July 11. In his campaign announcement, Alvarado called himself "Day One MAGA" with priorities to "close the border," "crush the woke left," "bring jobs home" and "save America." Zach Dembo (D) Zach Dembo is a former federal prosecutor and U.S. Navy JAG officer. 'Central Kentucky deserves to have a representative in Washington who stands up for families, works to lower their cost of living, expands access to affordable healthcare, and protects their safety," Dembo said in a press release. "Instead, D.C. politicians have put Medicaid on the chopping block, tariffs are targeting our most prized industries and jobs, and everything costs more – all while they give billionaires and coastal elites a massive tax break." Dembo has never served in an elected office, but he has previously worked as a policy advisor for Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. Ryan Dotson (R) State Rep. Ryan Dotson announced his campaign minutes after Barr shared he would be running for Senate in 2026. Dotson has represented District 73 in the Kentucky state House since 2021 and has spent time in the Army. Now, he serves as a Pentecostal preacher and a businessman who owns a number of restaurants. Policy-wise, Dotson is known for being at the forefront of culture wars during his time in Frankfort. Ahead of the 2022 legislative session, he filed a bill to prohibit transgender women from playing on women's sports teams at public schools and colleges in Kentucky. Dotson in 2021 also called for Beshear's impeachment over a mask mandate in schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Deanna Frazier Gordon (R) State Rep. Deanna Gordon, one of the most recent contenders to make a bid, has represented District 81 in the Kentucky House since 2019. In her campaign announcement, she touted her small business background experience as an audiologist, saying she 'helped build the largest audiology clinic in Kentucky." Since selling her business, Bluegrass Hearing, Gordon started a clinic called Hear At Your Service in Richmond. Gordon emphasized she would serve the 'working class, not the Wall Street elite." Issues important to her include limiting government spending and stopping illegal immigration. David Kloiber (D) David Kloiber served on the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council from 2020 to 2022. He also ran for Lexington mayor against incumbent Linda Gorton but lost with only 29% of the vote. Kloiber is hoping his business and nonprofit experience appeals to voters in the Democratic primary. He runs the Kloiber Foundation, which provides technology to students and teachers in Fayette County, and is expected to be able to put a significant amount of his own money into the race. During the 2022 Lexington mayoral race, he put $630,000 of his own money into the campaign. Cherlynn Stevenson (D) Former state Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson is hoping to make a comeback in Kentucky politics. She made her campaign announcement in May, touting her Kentucky roots and previous experience in Frankfort. Stevenson represented Kentucky House District 88 from 2019 through 2024, serving as minority caucus chair during her second term. She lost the election for a fourth term to Republican Vanessa Grossl in 2024, receiving 49.5% of the vote. Stevenson has received the endorsement of Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, whose name was also thrown around as a contender in the Democratic primary. Since the launch of her campaign, Stevenson has focused on fighting against tariffs and cuts to the Medicaid program, if elected. Who's out? Amanda Mays Bledsoe (R) State Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe, who represents District 12, was seen as an early front-runner in the Republican primary. But she recently ended speculation by announcing she wouldn't be running for Barr's seat. Mays Bledsoe said in a statement that while it "was not an easy decision," she knew it was "the right one" because the timing wasn't right for her and her family. 'As I imagined what it would take to fully commit to a campaign and to service in Washington, I kept coming back to Friday night games, school events, and everyday moments I don't want to miss," Mays Bledsoe said. Damon Thayer (R) Former state Sen. Damon Thayer, who previously served as Senate Majority Floor Leader while representing District 17, also announced he would not launch a campaign. Instead, he decided to endorse Alvarado, who he called a "true conservative who will put America First, secure the border and take the right to the radical left." "He's tough, tested, and ready to win," Thayer said in a social media post. "I'm all in for Ralph." Reach reporter Hannah Pinski at hpinski@ or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @hannahpinski. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky 6th Congressional district candidates: Who's in, who's out Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lexington attorney enters KY 6th District Dem primary emphasizing public service chops
A third Democrat has signed up to replace outgoing Rep. Andy Barr in Central Kentucky's 6th Congressional District. Zach Dembo, a former federal prosecutor and U.S. Navy judge advocate general, announced his campaign for Congress Thursday. 'My whole career has been spent in public service, and I very much view this as a continuation of that my service to Kentucky and to America,' Dembo told the Herald-Leader. Hammering home his experience in multiple levels of government, including the military, Dembo said he thinks he's the one best suited to flip the district from red to blue. Already in the race are former state representative Cherlynn Stevenson and former Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilman David Kloiber, both of whom raised significant amounts of money in their first quarter of fundraising. Republicans running include state representatives Deanna Gordon of Richmond and Ryan Dotson of Winchester; former state senator Ralph Alvarado is also expected to run. Dembo, 39, has not held elected office, unlike the other two Democrats running. Not all first-time candidates attract significant donations, but Dembo said he intends to 'meet or exceed' the funds raised by his Democratic opponents so far. He believes his experience, including a stint in Gov. Andy Beshear's administration before joining a Lexington-based federal prosecutor's office, will help him get across the finish line. He also emphasized his story of leaving his last job. '(It) was a great job, a job that I'd hoped to retire from,' Dembo said. 'But unfortunately I resigned because I couldn't in good principle serve in this administration, with the corruption and with them playing politics with the department and the justice system.' The 6th Congressional District, anchored by Lexington and including many outlying counties as well as a small portion of Eastern Kentucky, has been held by a Republican ever since Barr beat former congressman Ben Chandler in 2012. Since then, only once has a Democrat gotten within single digits of beating Barr. President Donald Trump won the district by about 15 points in 2024. But many see an opening with Barr's departure to run for the U.S. Senate in 2026. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has signaled they will invest in trying to flip the seat, and Sabato's Crystal Ball, a popular political prediction site, recently shifted the district from 'safe Republican' to 'likely Republican.' Dembo agrees that there's a real opportunity for Democrats in Central Kentucky. He mentioned that Beshear, whose five-point win in 2023 turned heads as a Democrat succeeding in a red state, won the district by about 20 points. 'Governor Beshear won this district by 20 points, so I don't think it's all about party for the voters. I think it's about the candidate, and what I intend to focus on is my record in public service,' Dembo said. That history began after graduating from college, when Dembo signed up for the Teach for America program, teaching eighth grade in the Mississippi Delta. After law school, he became a judge advocate general before joining a federal prosecutor's office in Washington. On the issues, Dembo stressed his willingness to push back on some of the major items pursued by Trump so far this year: tariffs, a bill that would cut spending on Medicaid and perceived corruption of the justice system. 'What I'm most interested in is making sure that the citizens of Central Kentucky can make a decent living, both by having good paying jobs and having access to health care. I'm concerned about protecting their jobs from these very disruptive and harmful tariffs that I think could have terrible impact on jobs — everything from bourbon to agriculture to Toyota to numerous other industries,' Dembo said. He also mentioned the possibility for the cuts to Medicaid spending to close rural hospitals in the 6th Congressional District in places like Montgomery County. On Israel-Palestine, an issue that has divided Democrats in Washington, Dembo said he recognizes Israel's status as an American ally and its right to exist as a Jewish state. He said that didn't equate to agreeing with all of the Israeli government's recent decisions. 'I am supportive of a two-state solution, and I don't support every decision their government makes, but I think everything needs to be looked through the perspective of Israel being one of those vital allies in the Middle East,' Dembo said. In the interview with the Herald-Leader, Dembo brought up his roots as a ninth-generation Kentuckian whose family hails from Henry and Shelby counties. His mother was a practicing physician in Lexington for 30 years.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Four new cases of measles in Fayette County; eight now tied to Central KY outbreak
The measles outbreak in Central Kentucky is growing. As of July 7, there were eight confirmed cases of the highly contagious measles virus connected to an outbreak in Woodford and Fayette counties, Lexington-Fayette County Health Department officials said Monday. That includes four new cases in Fayette County, all of which are tied to the first Fayette County case. Those who got the virus were considered household contacts. 'These individuals have been under quarantine since the initial case was identified, and there is no known additional risk to the public from these cases,' health officials said in a Monday news release. In addition to the Central Kentucky outbreak, an unrelated measles case was confirmed in Todd County on June 27. In total, Kentucky has reported 11 measles cases in 2025. The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department is continuing to respond to the outbreak. The health department continues to work closely with the Kentucky Department for Public Health and other local partners to investigate cases, ensure appropriate quarantine protocols and notify those who may have been exposed. In a previous Herald-Leader article, Kentucky Health and Family Services Secretary Dr. Steven Stack described the spread as 'not surprising' given the wider measles outbreak across the country. This year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported more than 1,200 measles cases across multiple states. The department is encouraging everyone to verify their vaccination status and ensure they are protected. The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is a safe and effective way to prevent infection. Adults born after 1957 should have documentation of at least one dose of MMR vaccine, and children should receive two doses: the first at 12-15 months and the second at 4-6 years of age.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Yahoo
2 charged with evidence tampering as Lexington police search for missing boys
Two people have been charged with evidence tampering as Lexington police continue the search for two teen boys missing since May 11. Jesus Eduardo Reyes-Rodriguez, 47, and a 17-year-old have been charged with tampering with physical evidence in connection with a vehicle the boys were last seen getting into, the Lexington Police Department said Friday night. The car, a white 2020 Acura ILX, was found at Loradale Market, in the 6800 block of Russell Cave Road Thursday. Coroner Gary Ginn told WKYT authorities searched there for human remains, but none were found. Police say Aoun Ismail Basboos, 15, and Ali Haider Naqvi, 16, were last seen getting into the back seat of the car 'just after a shots-fired incident in the 3300 block of Spangler Drive.' The car then left Lexington 'and traveled into surrounding counties in Central Kentucky,' police said. A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the boys' whereabouts, Bluegrass Crime Stoppers said. They are thought to be 'in imminent danger,' Crime Stoppers said. The Lexington Police Department said they've been helped with the investigation by a number of agencies, including the FBI, Kentucky State Police, Homeland Security, Fayette County Coroner's Office, Lexington Fire Department, Fayette County Public School Law Enforcement and the police departments in Nicholasville, Paris and Georgetown. Water search near Fayette-Scott county line has been discontinued
