Latest news with #CherlynnStevenson
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Lexington councilman enters 6th district congressional race
FRANKFORT, Ky. (FOX 56) — A second Democratic candidate is joining the field for Kentucky's 6th district congressional race. Former Lexington Councilmember David Kloiber said that it's his record as a job creator that he believes will make him the most qualified candidate in the race, and that he wants to make the place he lives the best for his family. 'I've made jobs in the agricultural sector, industrial, and commercial. I really am just focused on trying to take those same skills and bring them to bear here in government, for the benefit of everyone living here,' Kloiber said at his announcement on Wednesday at a local print shop. Rep. Ryan Dotson enters Kentucky's 6th Congressional District race The Lexington native manages his family's non-profit foundation and previously started his own software company. The former councilman was last on the ballot in 2022, when he challenged Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton, picking up just under 30% of the vote. It's a race, Kloiber said, that was a learning experience that allowed him to connect with more voters. He said the pillars of his platform are creating jobs, healthcare, housing, and education. 'I'm going to spend the next few months traveling the district, hearing from residents, incorporating their experiences, their problems, and their solutions into a comprehensive common-sense plan,' Kloiber said. Kloiber joins former State Representative Cherlynn Stevenson in the Democratic primary. Stevenson shared the following statement with FOX 56 in response to Kloiber's campaign announcement. Now more than ever, we need greater participation in our democratic process and more folks who are excited about public service. I look forward to sharing my vision with communities across Central Kentucky, listening to every voter, and staying laser-focused on the campaign — the same winning formula that helped me flip my Kentucky House seat in 2018 and the same one I'm bringing to Kentucky's 6th Congressional District. Cherlynn Stevenson Laurel County driver in deadly head-on crash enters plea Attorney questions indictment of former Ky. sheriff in judge's death, moves to dismiss New mobile resource coming to Kentucky communities in need of healthcare The statement went on to highlight a recent ratings shift from 'Solid Republican' to 'Likely Republican' in the Center for Politics' analysis of the race, calling Stevenson a 'credible recruit.' The primary election is set for May 19th, 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lexington Democrat aims to flip 6th District seat, launches congressional campaign
MIDWAY, Ky. (FOX 56) — A Kentucky Democrat has officially entered the race for Rep. Andy Barr's 6th Congressional District seat. 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.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former KY rep Cherlynn Stevenson to run as Democrat to replace Barr in Congress
Former Lexington state representative Cherlynn Stevenson is running to flip the 6th Congressional District from red to blue in 2026, she announced Tuesday. Stevenson said that she believes the seat is within reach for Democrats despite GOP Rep. Andy Barr's recent landslide victories. 'I know how to win in a red seat,' Stevenson said in an interview with the Herald-Leader about the race. So, how is it done? Stevenson said she'll focus on aggressive in-person campaigning and hammering home the 'meat and potatoes' issues of prices, education and health care. A predicted backlash to the policies of President Donald Trump, whose undulating tariff strategy has stirred uncertainty and even discontent on Wall Street, is central to her argument. The available polling on Trump's approval rating has been declining steadily. 'I think people are really scared by the chaos that they're seeing in Washington right now,' she said. '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. You know, a carton of eggs cost more, and people's nest eggs have gone down.' Stevenson added: 'I think that the environment is going to be right for somebody who's out there not trying to talk about the things that divide us, but about the real issues that Kentucky families and working families are facing right now.' But while Stevenson, 48, won her seat three times, she lost on the fourth effort to Rep. Vanessa Grossl, R-Georgetown, last year. Grossl flipped the seat — which stretches across much of suburban and rural Fayette County as well a slice of Scott County — winning by about half a percentage point two years after Stevenson won reelection by an even slimmer margin. Republican Party of Kentucky Communications Director Andy Westberry pointed the loss out in a statement on Stevenson's candidacy. 'Cherlynn Stevenson must be a glutton for punishment. After getting rejected by voters in her own backyard, she's now aiming higher—only to fall harder. Her entry into this race isn't a serious campaign; it's a one-way ticket to political career-ending humiliation. 'Let's be clear: the 6th District is Trump Country —rock-solid Republican ground where liberal pipe dreams go to die,' Westberry wrote. Indeed, Trump won the district by about 15 percentage points. Ever since a close three-point victory over Democrat Amy McGrath in 2018, Barr has won his last three elections by an average of 24 percentage points. But Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, albeit with a different off-year electorate, won the district by about 20. And Stevenson's pledge to focus on the 'real issues' over the divisive ones sounds a lot like Beshear's classic pitch to voters, both in Kentucky and more recently on the national stage. So where does Beshear stand on Stevenson's run? She said she spoke to the governor before making her announcement, and he was 'encouraging,' 'He was encouraging. We talked about the fact that I have been able to win in difficult districts. You know, he has endorsed me in every other race that I've ever been in, and I look forward to earning his endorsement this time,' Stevenson said. She did not say whether she believed his endorsement would come during the primary for the seat. A handful of other Kentucky Democrats have been mentioned as possibilities for the seat, especially since the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee listed the Central Kentucky-based district as one of their 35 Republican-held 'Districts in Play' for the 2026 cycle. Federal prosecutor Zach Dembo and former Lexington councilman David Kloiber are two names to watch; former secretary of state Allison Lundergan Grimes is also mentioned as a potential candidate. Fayette County makes up about 44% of the district. 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. When asked about her elevator pitch to voters, Stevenson gave a glimpse of how she feels her background – moving to the Lexington area from Eastern Kentucky, as many residents have – might help her. 'I was raised in Eastern Kentucky by a mom who was a teacher and a daddy who worked in coal and I know the values of hard work, and I know you know the struggles that everyday Kentuckians face, that I am not someone who Is there to represent a political party, but I am there to represent the people and take their hopes, their dreams and their worst fears to Washington and to fight for them,' Stevenson said. Stevenson was raised in Knott County but has lived in Lexington for several years. She first ran for office and flipped the 88th House District in 2018. She won a close race in 2020, then won again by just 37 votes in a tight race to Republican Jim Coleman. In Frankfort, Stevenson rose the ranks quickly to become House Democratic caucus chair four years into her time there. She was widely seen as a strong candidate for floor leader, the highest position in the caucus, before her loss. Stevenson was the subject of a short-lived controversy last year due to an ethics complaint filed against her. The complaint centered around her co-purchasing a Frankfort condo with a lobbyist. It was swiftly dismissed by the Legislative Ethics Commission. Stevenson's political calling card has been education. She pushed back strongly against 2024's pro-school choice amendment, which would have allowed the state legislature to fund charter and non-public K-12 schooling. Stevenson represented the 'anti' side on the amendment question at Fancy Farm, the state's biggest political speaking event, in 2024. The amendment ended up losing by a whopping 30 percentage points.
