Nancy Jo Kemper has weighed in political issues much of her adult life. But, her civic activities took a different turn last January when she filed as a Democratic candidate in the Sixth congressional district. The pastor of nearly 50 years, who’s spoken out on issues like health care and tax reform, abolition of the death penalty, environmental stewardship, and gambling expansion is seeking to unseat Republican Andy Barr.
Kemper returned to Frankfort last Thursday for the annual Democrats “get out the vote” picnic.
A chilly evening greeted the hardy Democrats under the Lakeview Park shelter in Frankfort. George Russell, who worked for U.S. Senator Wendell Ford and came to Kentucky to help Martha Layne Collins become Kentucky’s only female governor, helped organize the picnic. “Central Kentucky Democrats I think are in good shape,” said Russell. “Enthusiasm is high. But we’ll wait and see Election Day. I’m always optimistic.”
Sitting at a bench eating a hamburger was George Hanrahan, who was a bit more cautious in his optimism. He said Democrats had been “hurting” for a while, up against big money. Hanrahan says Kentucky has become a conservative state and Democrats are viewed as progressive, something he doesn’t see as a negative, but he adds “evidently a lot of people in Kentucky do.”
Hanrahan says he hopes congressional candidate Nancy Jo Kemper can benefit from the political coattails of Senate Democratic candidate Jim Gray, who’s expected to do well in central Kentucky.
After the relatively sparse picnic crowd settled down, Kemper spoke about a driving factor in her decision to run for office for the first time at age 73, “Truth is about letting the bright light in to show how money is corrupting so much of our political life.” She continued, “And how our very democracy is being corroded right out from under our feet.”
Following her remarks, Kemper responded to questions. A priority issue for candidates everywhere is how to respond to substance addiction. Kemper, who’s spent decades in a pastoral position, says it’s important to recognize the root of addiction, “I always believe that addiction is a cover symptom for a deeper kind of malaise or illness that people are facing.”
She says such problems can stem from chronic hopelessness and chronic unemployment and an inability to see life’s pleasures.
With the continuing debate about the minimum wage, Kemper sees the federal government’s role as setting a base amount. She says it was meant to guarantee a living wage for families. “It was not meant to be income just, well income and then you patched together 2 or 3 other jobs.”
While Central Kentucky is recognized for having a sound economy, Kemper believes some more rural counties could benefit from more amenities in the Red River Gorge area. “That whole region could benefit so much from good restaurants, nice places for people to stay, some chalets,” offered Kemper. “They could come in in the winter time and just observe the scenery.”
Kemper says such efforts would need to be balanced with preserving the national forest and conserving its natural resources.
Different environmental issues affect two other Central Kentucky counties. The disposal of chemical munitions at the Blue Grass Army Depot and the clean-up of low-level radioactive waste in the Estill County landfill remain concerns in Madison and Estill Counties. “I believe those are fundamental tasks that government is required and a debt that it owes its citizens to keep them safe from those kinds of toxins that it has created or that are out there in the environment,” explained Kemper.
Kemper says she sees issues like these as primary responsibilities of government.
Kentucky's 6th Congressional District is based in central Kentucky and contains the cities of Lexington, Richmond and Frankfort.
The district includes the counties of Anderson, Bath, Bourbon, Clark, Estill, Fayette, Fleming, Franklin, Madison, Menifee, Montgomery, Nicholas, Powell, Robertson, Scott, Wolfe, and Woodford, as well as portions of Harrison and Jessamine counties.?
