Kentuckians For The Commonwealth Plans Coffee with Candidates Events!
Press Contact: Joe Gallenstein, Lead Organizer with Kentuckians For The Commonwealth, is available for background information. He can be reached at 859-380-6103 or Joe@KFTC.org
Members of the Northern Kentucky chapter of Kentuckians For The Commonwealth plan to host a variety of candidate meet and greets between residents and candidates ahead of the upcoming May primary. These events are aimed at helping residents and potential voters feel at ease discussing the issues that are most important with them, regardless if the candidates are running for city or state office.
Member Nikki Siababa of the Latonia neighborhood of Covington spoke about the issues she most wants to see addressed locally, “A lot of what we deal with in our everyday lives are decided at the local level — rent costs and affordable housing, public transit, public education, public safety, park access and recreation — the list goes on, down to how our trash and recycling are collected. In a nutshell, our local government has a lot of influence in deciding what our community’s priorities are and how things are run. That’s why it’s so important for us to do our part to make sure those in office truly represent our best interests!”
Dan Berger, a member in Newport, talked about the importance of these types of events, saying, “it’s important for me to feel informed on who is running in my district and region. While I may not be able to vote for certain candidates who aren’t in my district, it’s important to know where they stand because so much of northern Kentucky is interconnected.”
With 2024 being a presidential election, many people are likely to be focused on the election for President or the national competition for who will control Congress. However, member Jenna Van Laningham of Florence believes “that local elections are just as important as federal elections. Local elected officials have the power and ability to shape policies that can have tremendous impact. For instance, local zoning laws can have the ability to make developing affordable housing easier.”
Member Alex Berling of Independence is especially excited for these events. “Often, what makes a community successful is when the entire community can collaborate and work together to come up with solutions that address our everyday needs. A candidate meet and greet is a great way to allow the community to begin to build those relationships with leaders capable of lifting the community’s voice, and also a great way for leaders to build those relationships with their community to understand the needs. I would love to talk more to future leaders in Independence about basics like the need for sidewalks on some state roads, the ever present continuum of balancing steady growth and development without losing the community’s culture, and how we can continue to improve mental healthcare access and affordability for Kentuckians.”
Currently, the chapter plans the following events for the public, with others in the works as well:
– April 4th from 10 to 12 at Roebling Point Books and Coffee in Newport at 601 Overton Street. Candidates for Newport City Commission (who do not have a primary) and all filed candidates for State Legislature in Campbell County have been invited.
– April 20th from 10 to 12 at the Latonia Terrace Community Room at 2940 Madison Avenue in Covington. At this event the organization has invited candidates for Covington City Commission.
– April 27th from 11 to 1 at Memorie Makers Café and Cupcakery at 8470 US Highway 42 in Florence. The chapter will be inviting all candidates for State Legislature in Boone County, as well as candidates for Florence City Council.
The chapter is hopeful to schedule 1 or 2 more before the last day of the primary election on May 21st. Folks can RSVP for these events, and look for other ones as they are planned, at bit.ly/NKY_Events or visit kftc.org/events to see all upcoming events.
