17-07-2025
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.
