Republican challenger for the U.S. 6th congressional district Andy Barr said he has one message for the voters of Jessamine County.
“If the people of Jessamine County think that Washington is broken — if you don’t like what’s going on in Washington and you want to send Washington a message, then you’ve got to replace your congressman,” he said.
Barr, a Lexington attorney and part-time instructor at Morehead State University, is challenging U.S. Congressman Ben Chandler, whom he calls a “career politician.”
Barr also said he would be more accessible than Chandler.
“If there is one complaint I get most, it is that their congressman is totally inaccessible and absent,” he said. “I am not going to be that kind of congressman.”
Barr said jobs and the economy, “getting people back to work,” is his number-one priority.
Barr said his campaign has been to expose the “lies” Chandler has been publishing in his campaign but stated that Chandler has denied 17 request for debate.
Barr said one of Chandler’s plans will increase Medicare by $6,400 a year, going as far as calling it a “scare tatic.”
Barr does not support Obamcare or Chandler’s initiative.
He says Chandler is supporting initiatives that are hurting jobs and the coal industry in Kentucky through over-regulation of business and over-regulation by the EPA. Barr blames Chandler for his support of these regulations, which are hurting “Main Street” small businesses.
As far as the I-75 connector and the Kentucky Pro Hall of Fame, Barr said that Chandler is not in a position to help Jessamine County anymore.
“I support the connector project, but Ben Chandler is in the minority and no longer on the appropriations committee and unable to help Jessamine County with these issues. In contrast, I would be in the majority and support the building of infrastructure,” Barr said.
Barr also said he is very happy to embrace Jessamine County but that if it were up to him the redistricting split between 2nd and 6th districts would not happen.
“Ideally we would keep all of Jessamine County together in one district, but it was Chandler that supported the split, and it was politically motivated to punish those who didn’t vote for him,” Barr said.
Barr also said he thinks Incumbent U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie is an excellent choice to serve Wilmore and the western portion of Jessamine County. On a state level, he said he also throws his support behind Matt Lockett.
Barr presently serves on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden. He is a member of the Kentucky and Fayette County Bar Associations, a 2007 graduate of Leadership Lexington, and a member of Christ Church Cathedral.
For more information on Barr, visit andybarrforcongress.com.
