Kentucky Democrats have recruited more candidates than any previous election cycle in the last 18 years.
A blue wave of candidates has filed for the 2018 midterm elections in both the House and Senate ensuring a referendum on Frankfort’s Republican-majority rule.
As of today’s deadline, at least 33 educators have filed to run for Senate and House seats. Republicans will now have to answer at the ballot box for their continued war on public education.
A groundswell of everyday Kentuckians has stood up advocating for public education, our public workforce, our working families, retirees and women’s rights. Instead of remaining disenfranchised by the Republican agenda crippling Kentucky, Democrats have stepped forward and filed for office.
Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Ben Self said today’s filing numbers reaffirm the energy and excitement behind the new KDP. Kentucky Democrats refuse to sit on the sidelines any longer.
“Kentucky Democrats are fired up. They’re tired of Gov. Bevin’s and the House Republicans’ policies and infighting, and they’re ready for a new wave of elected officials to go to Frankfort,” Self said. “We have more candidates challenging Republicans than anytime this century. And with more than 22 teachers stepping up to try and make a difference, we know that this fall election will be a referendum on the governor’s attack on teachers throughout our commonwealth.”
By the numbers
Leadership in the House and Senate have worked tirelessly to ensure a large number of Democrat recruits compete in the 2018 midterms. In the state House, 135 Democrats filed their candidacy papers and 20 Democrats filed in the 19 Senate races.
“In my 31 years of serving in the Kentucky House, I have never seen as much enthusiasm on the ground as I have this election cycle, and you can sense the tide that is building as we prepare for the wave that is coming in November,” House Minority Floor Leader Rocky Adkins, of Sandy Hook, said.
“The House Democratic leadership is proud of this extremely deep and talented bench of candidates and looks forward to working with them as we focus on issues that benefit all Kentuckians, not just a select few. To steal a quote from UK Coach John Calipari, ‘I like my team.’”
Democrats are competing in more House races than anytime Democrats have controlled the House as far back as 2000. Kentucky will soon join the wave of Democrat success seen in elections across the nation.
In response to the lack of representation of women, more than 90 women from across the commonwealth are seeking seats in the General Assembly.
Democratic women are competing in more than 50 percent of the Senate races alone. As of Tuesday, 13 Democratic women — six of which are educators — have filed to run in the 19 Senate races.
Kentucky’s Democrat Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes said it’s an exciting time for women.
“This has been an exciting year, a dramatic year because we had a record number of women that have come out and file for Kentucky’s General Assembly — our state House and our state Senate,” Grimes said.
“Nearly 100 women that are coming out to be a part of making policy, literally the center of our state government, that’s exciting. It’s at all levels that we have women coming out in droves and importantly educators and retired educators that are a part of the ballot this year.”