Lexington Democrat aims to flip 6th District seat, launches congressional campaign
On Tuesday morning, May 13, Lexington's Cherlynn Stevenson launched her campaign at Bluegrass Distillers in Midway.
Read more of the latest news in politics
Stevenson formerly represented Scott and Fayette County families beginning in 2018 before Vanessa Grossl took over her seat following the November 2024 election.
'For too long, politicians have ignored the needs of the communities that they are meant to serve,' Stevenson said. 'Recently, it has gotten worse — folks in DC barely get anything done and just fight over partisan nonsense that doesn't help working families. I'm running for Congress to change that — to be a champion for Lexington and the rural communities like where I was raised, to work across the aisle to put Kentucky workers and small businesses first, and protect and expand access to the health care we all depend on.'
She emphasized the belief that 'Kentucky workers and families are under attack.'
'Simply put: Kentucky workers and families are under attack. We are under attack from tariffs that are destroying our economy, cuts to Medicaid, and the dismantling of the education our kids deserve. We are under attack from billionaires like Elon Musk, stacking the rules in their favor, at the expense of working Kentuckians like us,' she added. 'We need to rewrite the rules, stand up for working people and families, and fight for Kentucky. That's what I've always done, and exactly what I will do in Congress.'
Frankfort father accused of setting house fire appears in court
Deputies seek missing 12-year-old Somerset girl last seen Sunday
Kentucky woman makes lottery history with $5M scratch off win on her birthday
According to Stevenson's team, she reportedly advocated for working families, teachers, veterans, healthcare, and children during her time in the General Assembly. Also fighting to bring new jobs and industry to the Commonwealth, protect access to health care, pass medical cannabis, legalize sports betting, and against the school voucher proposal, while increasing funding for public schools
On April 22, Barr officially threw his name into the hat for Sen. Mitch McConnell's seat to 'help President Donald Trump save this great country!'
The Republican Party of Kentucky called the bid delusional.
'If the DCCC thinks Cherlynn Stevenson is their ticket to a majority, they're more delusional than we thought. This district will send another conservative fighter to Washington, and Democrats will be left wondering why they even bothered,' Communications Director Andy Westberry said.
Stevenson affirmed on Tuesday that she wouldn't have entered the race if she didn't think she could flip the seat.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
41 minutes ago
- USA Today
Attorney General Pam Bondi appoints DEA chief as DC's 'emergency police commissioner'
WASHINGTON — U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a directive on Aug. 14 naming Drug Enforcement Administration head Terry Cole as the "emergency police commissioner" of Washington's Metropolitan Police Department. "Commissioner Cole shall assume all of the powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia Chief of Police," Bondi's directive said, adding Cole will have the authority to issue orders that apply to MPD members. MPD's existing leadership, including the current police chief and bureau heads, "must receive approval from Commissioner Cole before issuing any further directives to the MPD," Bondi's order said. President Donald Trump said earlier this week he was deploying hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington and temporarily taking over the city's police department to curb what he has depicted as a crime emergency in the U.S. capital, though statistics show incidents of violent crime have dropped. Trump, a Republican, said on Aug. 13 that he will seek long-term federal control of Washington's police force to crack down on crime, engaging in an escalating campaign to exert presidential power over the nation's capital, a Democratic stronghold. Muriel Bowser, Washington's mayor and a Democrat, has pushed back on Trump's claims that crime is rising, noting that violent crime hit its lowest level in more than three decades last year. Both federal and city crime statistics show that violent crime in Washington has declined sharply since a peak in 2023. Trump called the statistics "fraud." Trump has previously threatened to expand his efforts to other Democratic-run cities, such as Chicago, that he also claims have failed to address crime. Trump's extraordinary moves in Washington are reflective of how he has approached his second term in office, shattering legal concerns to test the limits of his office's power. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Kate Mayberry)


NBC News
42 minutes ago
- NBC News
Attorney General Pam Bondi appoints DEA administrator as 'emergency' D.C. police chief
WASHINGTON — Attorney General Pam Bondi further cemented the Trump administration 's takeover of D.C. law enforcement Thursday by shifting decision-making authority away from its police chief and handing it to Drug Enforcement Administration head Terry Cole. During an interview on Fox News, Bondi previewed an order by the Justice Department naming Cole as "emergency" commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Department, days after President Donald Trump directed the federal government to take control of the local police and deployed the National Guard in an effort to mitigate crime in the nation's capital. "Effective immediately, Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terrence C. Cole shall serve as MPD's Emergency Police Commissioner for the duration of the emergency declared by the President. Commissioner Cole shall assume all of the powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia Chief of Police," the order from the attorney general's office read. The order means the existing leadership of the D.C. police, including chief Pamela Smith, will have to receive approval from Cole before issuing any further directives for the department. Following a meeting with Bondi on Tuesday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Smith was serving as "operations lead in working with the federal government and federal forces that will be in the district." "We are ensuring that our Chief of Police is the leader and is working with her counterparts that have been named by the President, specifically the director of the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Marshals Service, to ensure that any additional officers that we have, and we expect that could range in the hundreds on any given night, will be deployed in the way that helps us drive down violent crime," Bowser, a Democrat, said Tuesday. Smith issued an order earlier Thursday allowing local police conducting traffic stops to notify Immigration and Custom Enforcement Agents about undocumented immigrants they encounter, a moved praised by Trump as a "great step" amid his effort to "stop crime" in the city. Despite Smith's directive, Bondi during her interview on Fox cited what she framed as "sanctuary policies" in her decision to supplant the police chief for the duration of Trump's 30-day order. "They're trying to protect criminal aliens. And what's going to happen if we keep this up, criminals are going to flee to DC, and we're not going to let that happen," Bondi said. "That's why, at my directive, we have made Terry Cole now the commissioner over the police."
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Conservative Rep. Mark Smith launches campaign for SC's 1st Congressional District Seat
State Rep. Mark Smith, R–Berkeley, launched his campaign for Congress Thursday to represent South Carolina's 1st Congressional District, entering the 2026 race to succeed U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace. Smith, who's in his third term as a state lawmaker and local businessman from Daniel Island, kicked off his campaign 10 days after Mace jumped into South Carolina's 2026 race for governor. In a two-minute launch video, Smith aligns himself closely with President Donald Trump, with the voiceover stating, 'Mark Smith's got President Trump's back.' 'The Lowcountry deserves a representative who puts our people first,' Smith wrote on Facebook, accompanying his campaign launch. 'We need a proven conservative leader who will fight for President Trump's America First agenda and deliver results.' His campaign messaging emphasizes traditional conservative priorities and defending 'South Carolina values.' Smith, 55, represents parts of Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, the Cainhoy Peninsula, Hanahan and Goose Creek in the South Carolina House of Representatives. Before that, he served on the Mount Pleasant Town Council. He also owns McAlister-Smith Funeral and Cremation, which operates six locations across Charleston, Berkeley and Lexington counties. The 1st District, which stretches along the state's southeastern coastline and covers much of the Lowcountry, including portions of Charleston, Berkeley and Beaufort counties, has leaned more Republican in recent cycles. In 2024, Rep. Mace defeated Democratic challenger Michael B. Moore with 58.2% of the vote. Smith's entrance into the race sets the stage for a competitive Republican primary, as candidates vie to define the direction of the GOP in the Lowcountry. As of now, Smith is one of two Republicans seeking the seat. Charleston's Jack Ellison has also filed Federal Election Commission paperwork to raise money for a campaign. On the Democratic side, three candidates have entered the ring, Robert Lee Beers III of Bonneau, William 'Mac' Deford of Mount Pleasant and S.C. Democratic Party Second Vice Chair Mayra Rivera-Vazquez of Bluffton. Official candidate filing with the South Carolina Election Commission does not open until March 2026, but early declarations have already begun to shape what could be a crowded race. Smith is scheduled to have a campaign launch event at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 14, at New Realm Brewing on Daniel Island, across from one of Mace's congressional offices in the district.