Melissa Strange

Melissa Strange, a Democrat, is a first-time candidate running for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District.

Strange faces Democrat Jesse Brewer in the primary, who is also a first-time candidate. The winner of that primary will go on to the General Election in November against incumbent Thomas Massie.

Strange is a lifelong resident of Northern Kentucky and a graduate of Dixie Heights High School, Northern Kentucky University and Thomas More University. Strange lives in Erlanger with her husband and has two sons. Currently, she works as a director of supply chain management at Archer Daniels Midland in Erlanger.

Strange told LINK nky she decided to run for office due to a long-standing interest in government, as well as concern over growing frustration about nationwide political division. As a candidate, Strange has framed herself as a community-first pragmatist focused more on problem-solving than partisan conflict.

Here are the other races with May primaries

Strange decided to run after hearing complaints for years from community members dissatisfied with Thomas Massie’s tenure, who believed he was not always acting in the best interests of the people in his district.

“I felt that if we could present a reasonable alternative, somebody who they felt was rational and just like them and cared deeply about this community, that maybe, maybe, they would be willing to leave the (Republican) party behind and actually make the decision in the best interest of the community,” she said.

On policy, Strange’s main focus is tackling the affordability crisis, including rising costs for housing, groceries, and daily expenses. She also considers rising healthcare costs a crucial issue, particularly in rural areas where hospital closures could negatively affect local communities.

Education is another central focus of Strange’s campaign, as she advocates for increased public education funding and early childhood programs like expanded pre-K access. Strange plans to draw on her experience as a former academic team coach by using mental models from ‘Future Problem Solving’ competitions to properly identify the root causes, evaluate solutions and then decide on the best plan of action.