Rep. Ryan Dotson enters Kentucky's 6th Congressional District race
WINCHESTER, Ky. (FOX 56) — With 6th District Congressman Andy Barr giving up his seat to run for U.S. Senate, the race to replace him is heating up.
Rep. Ryan Dotson (R) officially announced his candidacy Tuesday night at a campaign event in Winchester.
Dotson is no stranger to politics, currently serving District 73 in Frankfort. Dotson told FOX 56 that he believes his success at the state level would translate well in Washington.
'Save women's sports passed in the state of Kentucky,' said Dotson. 'I authored and got that bill passed. It is now a law. I protected property rights. I was a big part of helping to lower state income taxes.'
Now, Dotson is entering the race for Andy Barr's 6th congressional district seat. As a veteran, businessman, and longtime pastor, Dotson said he is someone everyday people can trust.
'A good shepherd smells like the sheep,' he said. 'And so when you live among the people and you dwell among the people, work among the people, do business, and when people know you, they trust you. And I believe you're able to lead because they see you as one of them.'
Read more of the latest Lexington & central Kentucky news
While the seat has been held by a Republican since 2012, Democratic candidate Cherlynn Stevenson said she's determined to flip the seat in the next election cycle.
'If I can get out there and meet all the people, just have those one-on-one conversations, we can block out all of that noise,' said Stevenson. 'And that's what it is. It's just noise. It's meant to divide. I have my head down. I'm focused on the people of the sixth district, and we're going to win this race.'
Dotson is confident that it won't happen.
'This was a plus 25 for Andy Barr back in November,' he said. 'This was a plus 15 for Donald J. Trump back in November. This is not going to be flipped.'
The Kentucky Democratic Party released a statement today criticizing Dotson's time in the legislature.
'Ryan Dotson has spent his time in the General Assembly trying to make life harder for Kentucky families, prioritizing divisiveness while advocating to cut food assistance for our children, take money from our public schools, roll back regulations that keep our workers safe and make it harder for families to find affordable housing,' stated Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Colmon Elridge. 'Dotson's candidacy is yet another example of Republicans trying to fail up while failing their constituents in the process.'
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But Dotson remains steadfast in his decision to run, promising to fight for trade school funding and border security and to always put the American people first.
'Shrinking government control and giving the government back to the people,' he said.
More candidates from both parties are expected to enter the race in the coming weeks.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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