- Six Democratic candidates outlined positions on healthcare, wages, and economic inequality at a Hebron forum
- Medicare for All, tax reform and immigration policy were central issues discussed
- Candidates stressed the importance of voter turnout ahead of the May 19 primary election.
Six Democratic Senate primary candidates vying for the party’s nomination took the stage Saturday at the Iron Workers Local 44 in Hebron, where they spoke on a variety of issues, chief among them being affordability, healthcare, immigration and the role of Congress in solving pertinent social issues.
The forum, held on Saturday, March 21, was hosted by the Boone County Democratic Women’s Club. Former Covington Mayor Joe Meyer, the forum’s emcee, introduced the six candidates – some of whom are veterans of political campaigning, while others are running for office for the very first time.
Participants included former state Rep. Charles Booker, state Rep. Pamela Stevenson, former Secret Service agent Logan Forsythe, horse trainer Dale Romans, cannabis advocate Joshua Blanton and Vincent Thompson, chairman of the Hardin County Conservation District board.
Former Marine pilot and 2020 Democratic Senate candidate Amy McGrath, the only Northern Kentuckian in the race, was absent due to a conflicting engagement, according to Meyer.
The candidate who wins the May 19 primary will advance to the general election in November, competing against either Republican candidates Rep. Andy Barr, former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, or entrepreneur Nate Morris. The victor will succeed outgoing Sen. Mitch McConnell, who has held the seat since 1985.
The candidates were generally aligned on many issues, with their differences mainly showing through style and tone rather than core policy goals.
During policy discussions, candidates largely agreed on key economic concerns, including raising wages, reducing the cost of living and reforming the tax system to benefit working class Americans.
“Make sure you’re voting for the right person who has lived a regular Kentucky experience, who knows what the average middle class person is going through and wants to help you with that,” Forsythe said.
Regarding healthcare, many candidates advocated for some form of Medicare for All, a legislative proposal that would transform the US’s current multi-payer system into a single-payer national health insurance program. Universal health care is a broader proposal that calls for every American to have access to health services.
“It’s an economic conversation,” Booker said. “It’s a justice conversation. It is about our future. When I say health care is a human right, a lot of people say it – I mean it, and therefore I do support Medicare for All. No one should have to ration their medicine. No one should have to die because they don’t have enough money in their pocket. If we pass Medicare for All, we can invest in our rural hospitals.”
Immigration was also a widely discussed issue, with candidates arguing that the current immigration system needs more funding, staffing and streamlined legal pathways.
“We must make the system better, because it’s broken, and then make sure that we apply that system to all immigrants that want to come to this country, and not just to the ones that need to work in the different fields and the different industries that use them,” Stevenson said.
Blanton expressed a view that resonated with much of the crowd about Democratic participation in Kentucky elections, arguing that voter turnout was essential for passing their policy platform. Notably, Democratic voter turnout decreased in the Kentucky Senate elections from 2020 to 2022.
“If we don’t have you all show up, whichever one of us wins isn’t going to be important if you all don’t make a big difference,” Blanton said. “So y’all, showing up matters.”