On the Republican side, former state Rep. Ryan Dotson of Winchester and Nicholasville businessman Greg Plucinski debated who best aligned with the policies of President Donald Trump while mostly agreeing on topics like the Iran war. Other prominent candidates, like former state Sen. Ralph Alvarado, did not attend.
Dotson described himself as a “social conservative,” pointing to state legislation he authored that prohibits trans women from competing in women’s sports.
Plucinski, a first-time candidate for office, said he would treat his political career like his business career.
Both candidates pointed to a need to strengthen the local economy and add jobs to the region. They mostly spoke in line with the Trump administration’s priorities, but also discussed the need to build coalitions across parties.
“I will never compromise who I am or my convictions, but I'm always open minded to get things done. And here's the thing with me, if I can get 70% of what I want, I can work towards that,” Dotson said.
They also spoke favorably about term limits for members of Congress.
“I want to go in and I want to help Kentucky create jobs, boost the economy, go to work for the American government and the people, and that's very important to me, but I don't want to have a career doing it. I want to get in there, do the work and come home,” Plucinski said.
Both candidates also spoke favorably about DOGE-era cuts to federal government jobs. Dotson advocated for eliminating the Department of Education and some jobs at the Environmental Protection Agency, and Plucinski also vouched for cutting some positions in the Food and Drug Administration relating to fees.
They also discussed gun laws in the wake of last weekend’s shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. Both pledged to fund mental health services while staying firm on Second Amendment gun rights.
“Law abiding gun owners are never the problem, it’s the criminals. And when someone is deemed to have mental health issues, then those things need to be looked at from a medical perspective. There has to be a rigorous process,” Dotson said.
Both also described the 2020 presidential election as “rigged” in favor of Joe Biden amid talks about election integrity, despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
They also spoke favorably about U.S. actions in Iran, with both candidates arguing the U.S. is not currently at war.
“Right now, we are at an incursion,” Plucinski said. “This is not dissimilar to other things that we have done around the world. And if we were to declare a war, we would take away the element of surprise, because Congress can't keep a secret.”
Meanwhile, Democrats have characterized the 6th Congressional District as a “purple” race that could be flipped in their favor. During the debate, each candidate cemented their identities while debating who could best oppose Trump’s agenda.
Zach Dembo, a former federal prosecutor, described himself as a lifelong public servant who decided to run to oppose Trump on issues like tariffs and the Iran war.
“The first thing I would say is Congress just needs to do its job. So many of the problems we have right now are from them giving up all of their legislative powers to the executive,” Dembo said.
David Kloiber, a former Lexington council member, described himself as a “pragmatic Democrat” and spoke in favor of lowering health care costs, higher wages and affordable housing.
“I think it's very important that if we're going to win in November, we have to have a message that's going to bring people in from across the aisle,” Kloiber said. “ We can't keep talking about the same old things sounding like we're coming out of Washington if we’re going to be able to get people who voted overwhelmingly for Trump to vote for a Democrat.”
Cherlynn Stevenson, a former state representative for parts of Fayette and Scott counties, touted her 2019 election to the state legislature as an example of knowing what it takes to win in the district.
“I am the only one that has successfully navigated the nasty and divisive politics that unfortunately dominate our elections today, and I'm the only one that has already stood on a house floor and fought back against MAGA Republicans,” she said.
Erin Petrey, a businesswoman, described herself as a progressive Democrat. She voiced her support for causes like Medicare for All and campaign finance reform, decrying special interest groups and lobbyists like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
“The way that we revitalize this country, especially rural and small town America, is taking that burden and that insane amount of money that you have to pay just so that health insurance executives can get their pay,” Petrey said.
In contrast to Petrey, Dembo argued in favor of the public option, saying he did not want current Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in charge of a government-sponsored health care program.
“I think for those folks who like their employer-sponsored health care plans, we should not be forcing them off of that in favor of the federal government overreaching into that,” Dembo said.
Kloiber and Stevenson spoke in favor of Medicare for All, but characterized it as a long-term goal, backing the public option in the meantime.
“I believe that we need to work our way toward Medicare for All,” Stevenson said. “Do I think that we can get there anytime soon? I don't. So I believe that we do need to work toward that public option.”
Each candidate also spoke in favor of taxing billionaires and the ultra-wealthy.
“The thing is that Reaganomics, trickle down economics, supply side economics, does not work. We are in a position now where we are seeing a logjam of the impacts of that,” Petrey said.
Kloiber argued such tax reforms should be fixed at a systemic level.
“If we target the system that is allowing these things to happen, so that everyone is getting a fair share or paying their fair share, that's the method to go forward,” he said. “It's not about targeting a specific group or class. It's about targeting a system that has not been working for all of us.”
All candidates supported some level of immigration reform. Petrey called on the abolishment of ICE, while Kloiber said he supported the dismantling of the Department of Homeland Security, ICE’s parent agency. Stevenson argued DHS should not be funded until ICE is “reined in.” Both Kloiber and Dembo said those committing violent crimes should be prosecuted and deported, but pointed to ICE’s targeting of non-violent individuals as a step too far.
