By Ülvi Gitaliyev
Andy Barr (R), is running for his 7th term in Kentucky’s Sixth Congressional District. Representative Barr is known for his staunch conservatism, support of former president Donald J. Trump and conservative voting patterns such as voting in favour of military aid for Israel at every opportunity.
Although the Sixth District used to be very competitive, most political pundits now have the seat as solidly Republican. While Barr is unopposed in the Republican Primary, there will be at least five Democratic candidates on the primary ballot. Todd Kelly is one of those candidates. As the founder of Kelly Nursery LLC, he sells nursery plants and participates in Quaker meetings. Todd has written many Op-eds on the topics ranging from Palestine to Abortion, which can be found here. The Berea Torch had a chance to interview Todd Kelly and why he is running this year.
When asked why he decided to run in the first place, Todd spoke about Project 2025, a policy proposal by right-wing think tanks in the event of a Trump election victory in 2024. The proposal includes further limiting abortion rights nationwide, expanding the power of the executive and implementing the insurrection act against protests in the U.S. According to Todd, Congress will be one of the few bulwarks stopping the Project 2025 agenda from being fully achieved, and so, that is why he is running for office.
Abortion has become a contentious issues in Kentucky since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Todd opened up about how his wife became pregnant and the fetus had multiple, severe genetic issues that would have made it impossible to survive outside the womb. Therefore, he and his wife decided to have an abortion, an option that everyone in Kentucky should have, according to Todd.
When it comes to Palestine, Todd said that both Israel and Palestine have a right to defend themselves. He believes that criticism of Israel should not be equated with anti-Semitism. Andy Barr though, has accused many critics of Israel, including Todd Kelly of anti-Semitism, because of their criticism of Israel.
Todd also spoke on his economic beliefs in regard to banking. Specifically, he praised Joe Biden’s administration limiting overdraft fees. He also said “Banks are wild animals, and they should be treated as such” when asked about the need for regulating banks. Todd also supports efforts to unionise the U.S. economy, in the both private and public sector, by saying “Unionization created the middle class for god’s sake!”
The Democratic & Republican Primaries will be held on May 21st, with the general election for November 5th, 2024, along with the U.S. Presidential Elections and other local elections. With a lack of polling in the District, it will be seen if Shauna and her message of Palestinian solidarity will win in Kentucky.
Republished from Berea Torch.
https://bereatorch.com/2024/05/12/kentuckian-nurseryman-interview-with-6th-congressional-district-democratic-candidate-todd-kelly/
Sun, May 12, 2024
Commentary
The Berea Torch
By Ülvi Gitaliyev
Andy Barr (R), is running for his 7th term in Kentucky’s Sixth Congressional District. Representative Barr is known for his staunch conservatism, support of former president Donald J. Trump and conservative voting patterns such as voting in favour of military aid for Israel at every opportunity.
Although the Sixth District used to be very competitive, most political pundits now have the seat as solidly Republican. While Barr is unopposed in the Republican Primary, there will be at least five Democratic candidates on the primary ballot. Todd Kelly is one of those candidates. As the founder of Kelly Nursery LLC, he sells nursery plants and participates in Quaker meetings. Todd has written many Op-eds on the topics ranging from Palestine to Abortion, which can be found here. The Berea Torch had a chance to interview Todd Kelly and why he is running this year.
When asked why he decided to run in the first place, Todd spoke about Project 2025, a policy proposal by right-wing think tanks in the event of a Trump election victory in 2024. The proposal includes further limiting abortion rights nationwide, expanding the power of the executive and implementing the insurrection act against protests in the U.S. According to Todd, Congress will be one of the few bulwarks stopping the Project 2025 agenda from being fully achieved, and so, that is why he is running for office.
Abortion has become a contentious issues in Kentucky since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Todd opened up about how his wife became pregnant and the fetus had multiple, severe genetic issues that would have made it impossible to survive outside the womb. Therefore, he and his wife decided to have an abortion, an option that everyone in Kentucky should have, according to Todd.
When it comes to Palestine, Todd said that both Israel and Palestine have a right to defend themselves. He believes that criticism of Israel should not be equated with anti-Semitism. Andy Barr though, has accused many critics of Israel, including Todd Kelly of anti-Semitism, because of their criticism of Israel.
Todd also spoke on his economic beliefs in regard to banking. Specifically, he praised Joe Biden’s administration limiting overdraft fees. He also said “Banks are wild animals, and they should be treated as such” when asked about the need for regulating banks. Todd also supports efforts to unionise the U.S. economy, in the both private and public sector, by saying “Unionization created the middle class for god’s sake!”
The Democratic & Republican Primaries will be held on May 21st, with the general election for November 5th, 2024, along with the U.S. Presidential Elections and other local elections. With a lack of polling in the District, it will be seen if Shauna and her message of Palestinian solidarity will win in Kentucky.
Republished from Berea Torch.
https://bereatorch.com/2024/05/12/kentuckian-nurseryman-interview-with-6th-congressional-district-democratic-candidate-todd-kelly/
The Berea Torch