Alvarado, Kentucky's first Hispanic state legislator, echoes Trump in launching a congressional bid
Alvarado, a medical doctor and the son of immigrants, will compete for Kentucky's 6th Congressional District seat now occupied by Republican Rep. Andy Barr, who is in a hotly contested race to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell, the former longtime Republican Senate leader, in next next year's midterm election.
Seen as a rising conservative star during his years in the Kentucky Senate, Alvarado pledged to align with President Donald Trump's 'America First' agenda as he kicked off his congressional campaign.
'Kentuckians are fed up with open borders, sky-high prices and unelected bureaucrats who trample our freedoms,' Alvarado said in a statement. '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.'
Republican state Reps. Ryan Dotson and Deanna Gordon entered the House race earlier, also touting their conservative credentials and setting up the prospect of a competitive primary next spring.
The Democratic field also grew Thursday, with former federal prosecutor Zach Dembo entering the campaign. Dembo, also a former policy adviser for Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, said his focus will include creating good-paying jobs, fighting back against Medicaid cuts and opposing tariffs that he said are hurting crucial Kentucky industries.
'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 statement.
National Democrats list Kentucky's 6th among dozens of districts nationally that they're targeting in hopes of winning back the narrowly divided House in 2026. Other Democratic candidates for the Kentucky congressional seat include ex-state Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson and David Kloiber, a former Lexington city councilman.
Alvarado's campaign said he preserved his Kentucky ties while working in Tennessee, noting that he maintained his longtime home in Clark County in the district and continued to do medical work in the district. He typically returned home multiple times each month.
He was the first Hispanic member of Kentucky's legislature, his campaign said, having been first elected in 2014. He has said his immigrant parents made big sacrifices to get him a good education. His father was from Costa Rica, and his mother is from Argentina.
Alvarado ran for statewide office in Kentucky as then-Gov. Matt Bevin's running mate in 2019, but Bevin lost his reelection bid to Beshear. Alvarado left the Kentucky Senate to step into the role as Tennessee's health department commissioner in Republican Gov. Bill Lee's administration in 2023.
Lee last week announced Alvarado's departure from the state health department, saying Alvarado 'faithfully served Tennesseans throughout his tenure.'
Alvarado's role in promoting Bevin during the 2019 campaign could surface as an issue in next year's congressional race as Bevin's pugnacious style turned off many Kentucky voters.
The 6th District stretches from central Kentucky's bluegrass region to the Appalachian foothills. It flipped between Democratic and Republican representation for decades, but Barr has locked down the seat for the GOP for more than a decade, fending off a tough Democratic challenger in 2018.
Since then, the GOP-led legislature removed Democratic-leaning Frankfort, Kentucky's capital city, from the 6th District during the most recent round of redistricting, seemingly making it a steeper challenge for Democrats. The district includes Democratic-trending Lexington, the state's second-largest city, and covers multiple rural counties that are Republican strongholds.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
13 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump To Release Billions In Frozen Funds: What To Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. More than $5 billion in frozen education grant funding to the states will be released in the coming weeks, according to the Department of Education. The money, which was used to found a range of initiatives including teacher training and English language programs, was suspended by the Trump administration on June 30 pending a review by the federal Office of Management and Budget. Newsweek contacted the Department of Education for comment on Saturday via email outside of regular office hours. The Context The announcement follows weeks of lobbying from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers concerned about the impact the funding suspension would have on their districts. Lawsuits aiming to get the money unfrozen had been submitted by 24 states and the District of Columbia along with a separate group of teaching unions, school districts and parents. What To Know On Friday, the Department of Education spokesperson Madi Biedermann said the funding had been unfrozen and would begin being paid out next week. The money was part of a larger sum of nearly $7 billion that had been approved by Congress for education spending and was due to be released on July 1, but that the Trump administration announced it had placed a block the previous day. On June 30, the Education Department announced the spending was under review with the Office of Management and Budget saying it would investigate whether it had previously been spent supporting a "radical left-wing agenda." President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he arrives at Glasgow Prestwick Airport on July 25, 2025 in Prestwick, Scotland, UK. President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he arrives at Glasgow Prestwick Airport on July 25, 2025 in Prestwick, Scotland, UK. Andrew Harnik/GETTY The money had been earmarked for a number of services including migrant education, English language programs and adult education with $2.2 billion committed to teachers' professional development. On Friday the administration said there would be "guardrails" in place to ensure the released money wasn't spent "in violation of executive orders or administration policy." Earlier this month the Supreme Court ruled the Department of Education can go ahead with its plan to lay off nearly 1,400 workers. The Trump administration reportedly considered abolishing the Department of Education in its entirety earlier this year. What People Are Saying In a post on X, Nebraska House Republican Don Bacon wrote: "Exciting news to announce! All frozen education funding for the upcoming school year have been released." Referring to the payments on Friday at the National Governors Association's summer meeting Education Secretary Linda McMahon said: "I would think now that we've reviewed them … a year from now, we wouldn't find ourselves in the same situation." Addressing The Washington Post Democratic Senator Patty Murray said: "This administration deserves no credit for just barely averting a crisis they themselves set in motion. "You don't thank a burglar for returning your cash after you've spent a month figuring out if you'd have to sell your house to make up the difference." Speaking to Axios Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito said: "The programs are ones that enjoy long-standing, bipartisan support like after-school and summer programs that provide learning and enrichment opportunities for school aged children, which also enables their parents to work and contribute to local economies, and programs to support adult learners working to gain employment skills, earn workforce certifications, or transition into postsecondary education." Skye Perryman, president of the Democracy Forward campaign group, said: "While this development shows that legal and public pressure can make a difference, school districts, parents, and educators should not have to take the administration to court to secure funds for their students." What Happens Next Payments from the frozen funding should start going out next week according to the Department of Education.
Wall Street Journal
13 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
Trump's Megabill Cut Taxes. Here's Who Came Out Ahead.
Now that President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act is law, the fight has begun over who wins and who loses from its tax-and-spending changes. The tax provisions suggest the law has something for almost everyone: extension of tax cuts on most households from 2017 that were due to expire Dec. 31; new tax breaks for tips, overtime pay, senior citizens and car-loan interest; a long list of business-tax changes; and a more generous deduction for state and local taxes for some.
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Is ‘The View' going on hiatus? What to know after Joy Behar's comments
As President Donald Trump continues to feud with the entertainment industry, of which he was once a part, speculations have emerged that another fan-favorite show is being slashed. ABC Network's "The View" has found itself in dispute with the Trump administration, with a White House spokesperson suggesting the long-time talk show could be coming to an end. During a July 23 episode, co-host Joy Behar remarked that Trump is jealous of former President Barack Obama because 'Obama is everything that he is not.' She added that, unlike Trump, Obama is 'trim, smart, handsome, happily married, and can sing Al Green's song 'Let's Stay Together' better than Al Green. And Trump cannot stand it." "It's driving him crazy,' she added. Earlier this month, CBS announced the cancellation of the late-night comedy 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' after 33 years, a decision Trump celebrated on social media. White House responds White House Assistant Press Secretary Taylor Rogers responded to Behar's comments by referring to the comedian as 'an irrelevant loser suffering from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.' 'It's no surprise that The View's ratings hit an all-time low last year. She should self-reflect on her own jealousy of President Trump's historic popularity before her show is the next to be pulled off air,' Rogers said in a statement. 'I'm allowed to say that, right?' The following day, Thursday, July 24, Behar revealed the daytime talk show was getting ready to go on summer break. 'Before we go on hiatus, we only have one more show after this,' Behar, 82, announced at the top of the program before looking off-camera and asking colleagues, 'I'm allowed to say that, right?' While co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin joked, "Too late now," Joy continued, saying: "Before we go, I wanted to tell people that the tide is tide is turning, and things are changing. I mean, the ultimate irony would be that Rupert Murdoch will take him down." Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Is 'The View' being cancelled? ABC Network declined to comment on the exchange. Behar's manager, Bill Stankey, said, 'On behalf of me……..Release the Epstein files' when asked for a comment. In May, Attorney General Pam Bondi reportedly told Trump that his name appears several times throughout the criminal case files on the late financier and convicted sex offender Epstein, according to CNN and the Wall Street Journal. Co-host Whoopi Goldberg, in the July 24 episode, announced the show is going on a break and will return in September 2025 for the new season. "Here's what's going on," Goldberg said. "We will see you all tomorrow (July 25) for another new show, and we'll be back for our new season in September." "The View" takes about a month-long break in August every summer, and it appears the "hiatus" Behar was referring to was not unusual for the show, which just wrapped up its 28th season. How did this start? The latest tension between the White House and 'The View' began after an Oval Office meeting with Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on July 22, when Trump accused Obama of treason. Later that day, Obama addressed a July 18 report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that claimed the former president 'manufactured and politicized intelligence" to undermine Trump's presidential victory over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016. Obama dismissed the allegations against him, calling them the typical 'nonsense and misinformation' emerging from the Trump administration. He noted the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia tried to influence the 2016 election. On the next morning's episode of 'The View,' Behar defended Obama with a sly remark about Trump and the overrunning of the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. 'First of all, who tried to overthrow the government on Jan. 6? Who was that again? That was not Obama,' she quipped. Who are the hosts of 'The View'? The daytime talk show is co-hosted by: Whoopi Goldberg Joy Behar Sunny Hostin Sara Haines Alyssa Farah Griffin Ana Navarro When does 'The View' air? 'The View' airs Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET on ABC. Episodes are also available to stream on Hulu. Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is going on between Trump, 'The View'?
