- Libertarian candidate Jeremy Todd secured a spot on Kentucky’s November general election ballot after collecting more than 750 signatures in 12 days, exceeding the 400 signatures required by state law.
- Todd entered the race shortly after longtime Congressman Thomas Massie lost the Republican primary to Ed Gallrein, a candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump.
- The November ballot for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District is expected to include Republican Ed Gallrein, Democrat Melissa Strange, Libertarian Jeremy Todd, and Kentucky Party candidate Mohammad Ahmad.
A Libertarian Party candidate has gathered enough signatures to appear on the November general election ballot for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District.
Jeremy Todd, a member of the Libertarian Party and a Northern Kentucky resident, announced that he secured ballot access for the upcoming general election.
Kentucky state law dictates that a Libertarian Party candidate seeking election to the U.S. House of Representatives can qualify for the general election by filing a nomination petition containing at least 400 valid signatures. Todd’s petition garnered over 750 signatures in 12 days.
“Our district has spoken clearly; what happened in our backyard cannot be tolerated,” Todd said in a press release posted to his campaign’s official Facebook page. “Kentucky is not for sale. We will not allow Washington insiders or outside money to simply purchase a seat in Congress. This campaign is about sending a loud message that our freedom does not go to the highest bidder.”
Kenton County Libertarian Party Chair and former Crescent Springs city councilman Bill Schult told LINK nky that the petition effort began on May 20, one day after longtime incumbent Congressman Thomas Massie, an ideological libertarian, lost in the Republican Primary to former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein – the candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Earlier that day, the Libertarian Party of Kentucky announced on X that they had nominated Todd to represent them in the general election.
The petition campaign ended on June 1 with more signatures than required. The petition was submitted to the Kentucky Secretary of State’s office on June 2.
“It speaks to not only the enthusiasm of the Northern Kentucky libertarians,” Schult said, “but also the general public, because it wasn’t just libertarians, it was Republicans, independents, everybody, both collecting signatures and signing the petition.”
In addition, Northern Kentucky-based Democrat Melissa Strange will appear on the November ballot as the Democratic Party nominee.
After Massie’s primary defeat, many of Massie’s allies announced their intention to support Todd as an alternative to Gallrein and the Republican Party.
Many of Todd’s campaign initiatives are similar to Massie’s, such as bringing U.S. troops home from wars, cutting government spending and the national debt and opposing the influence of special interests and foreign lobbies in American policymaking.
Throughout his campaign, Massie voiced opposition to U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran. In March, he led a failed War Powers Resolution effort to remove the U.S. military from hostilities with Iran. In response, many prominent pro-Israel pundits and politicians criticized Massie for his position. Arguably, the most vocal was Trump.
Moreover, he routinely highlighted the high volume of spending by pro-Israel political donors, including casino magnate Miriam Adelson, hedge fund manager Paul Singer, and lobbying organizations such as the Republican Jewish Coalition and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Some national outlets reported that as much as $32 million was spent in the Republican Primary against Massie, making it the most expensive primary in Congressional history.
Given the exorbitant level of spending in the race, Todd and Schult felt that Massie’s loss was largely a product of spending by anti-Massie political donors and political action committees.
“The goal is to give you know voters who actually believe in small government, who believe in avoiding foreign entanglements, who believe in government transparency somewhere to vote on the ballot,” Schult said.
In addition to Todd, Northern Kentucky-based pro-Palestinian activist Mohammad Ahmad will also appear on the general election ballot on June 1. Ahmad, a vocal critic of Zionism, will appear on the ballot as a candidate for the Kentucky Party.
The Kentucky Party states on its website that it opposes the use of military force, coercion, or violence to achieve political objectives. The party identifies ending Kentucky’s participation in U.S. military interventions abroad as one of its core policy goals. It also generally opposes military spending and arms exports, arguing that international disputes should be addressed primarily through diplomacy, negotiation and other peaceful means.
LINK nky reached out to Ahmad for comment. The article will be updated to upon receipt of a response.
