The following op-ed is written by Shelley Funke Frommeyer, a candidate in the Republican primary for Kentucky Senate District 24

I’m a business owner and Certified Financial Planner. I’m a mother of 6, and grandmother of 5. I’m not your typical first-time candidate. 

I know that some people spend their whole lives preparing for the launch of their first campaign and moving up the political ladder. Not me. 

I’m 52 and up until now, I’ve been focused on my own house – not the Statehouse. I’ve been focused on the health and happiness of my family, building my business, and giving back to my community. With good conservatives at the wheel, I knew I could run my business and my household the way I saw fit.

But when Andy Beshear and Joe Biden were elected in 2019 and 2020, I knew that my state and my country were in trouble. Frankly, what started coming out of Frankfort and Washington, D.C. began to truly scare me. It was hard to believe that the government could shutdown churches, but leave abortion clinics open. Small businesses were forced to shut down while giant corporations were given special privileges. Riots and violence escalated and left our streets more dangerous than ever, but our children were forced to stay home from school and wear masks on playgrounds. It was clear – American values were under attack, and liberals were putting common sense in the back seat with our liberties. 

I couldn’t sit on the sidelines any longer. I was inspired to step in and fight to clean up the mess that had been created by liberal politicians. After quite a bit of prayer and long talks with my husband, Rich, and the rest of my family, I decided that the best way to make sure that our values were being represented in Frankfort was to just go there myself.

That’s why I’m running for Kentucky State Senate. My background, my passion, and my experience make me the best person to serve the people of the 24th District and to represent the pro-family, pro-freedom, and pro-police values of the people of Campbell, Bracken, Pendleton, and Kenton counties.

I’m focused on three issues in this campaign: Family, Freedom, and Safety.

As a daughter of a large farming family from DeMossville and granddaughter of the Tewes poultry family, I understand the importance of family. I spent my entire childhood working our 300-acre family farm with my 11 siblings, where we would help my folks harvest vegetables, raise cattle, and bail hay. My parents and my childhood instilled in me the values and the faith that I carry with me to this day, including my commitment to the sanctity of life and the importance of a hard day’s work.

Family is the foundation of any healthy community. And it’s the foundation for my campaign. I’ll always fight to put Northern Kentucky families first.

Fighting for families also means fighting for good-paying jobs. Kentuckians deserve the opportunity to support themselves and their families. The best way to do that is to get government out of the way and let job-creators do what they do best – create jobs.

We’ve seen how important it is to elect people who put the economy first. Before 2020, our economy was growing at a record pace. Unemployment was down and wages and the stock market were up. Now, Kentucky families are having money taken out of their pocket by record inflation and rising gas prices. When I get to Frankfort, I promise your family’s bottom-line will be my top priority.

I’m also focused on protecting your freedoms. I’m a constitutional conservative who believes that our rights come from our Creator – not government.

I promise to hold the line on protecting your right to live your life as you see fit. Whether that’s fighting to protect your 2nd Amendment rights or opposing unconstitutional mandates, I will always be on the side of individual liberty and personal autonomy.

And lastly, I’m committed to fighting for public safety. Crime is on the rise in Kentucky. The violent crime rate in 2020 was the highest it’s been since 2008 and the homicide rate reached its highest level since 1995[1]. We need legislators who understand that a safe community is a healthy community and will work to put families ahead of criminals.

I promise to defend the police – not defund them. When I’m in Frankfort, I promise I’m going to send a message to Andy Beshear that we need to invest in our officers so that they can continue to protect and serve our communities in Northern Kentucky.

Northern Kentucky is a special place and the people of Campbell, Bracken, Pendleton, and Kenton counties deserve a leader who can represent them and their values, and to continue the great work of retiring Senator Wil Schroder. The values that were instilled in me when I was a little girl working on the family farm in DeMossville are the same values I want to take to Frankfort.

 Northern Kentucky is my home. It’s where I was raised and where I’ve built my family and my business. I’m running for State Senate because Northern Kentucky needs a leader in Frankfort who understands what families in our region need to grow and thrive. I promise that I’ll work tirelessly for your family the same way I worked for mine all those years ago on the farm. To the voters of the 24th Senate District, I’m asking for your vote in the Republican primary election on May 17th.  To learn more about me and my campaign, please visit shelleyforkentucky.com or find me on Facebook at facebook.com/ShellyFunkeFrommeyerforKYSenate.