Kentucky Party Sends Third-Party Slate to November Ballot: Just 305 Registered Members, Its Top Candidate Runs for McConnell's Open Senate Seat
【Source: Louisville Courier Journal, Oct. 12】On Kentucky's November 3 ballots, alongside Republicans and Democrats, voters will see an unfamiliar name — the Kentucky Party. Founded in 2024 and counting just 305 registered members, the small party is fielding candidates in federal, state and local races across the state.
The party's platform is a two-page document built around three priorities: fighting corruption, opposing wars and supporting "equality of opportunity for everyone in the Commonwealth." It says the party "supports and upholds the rule of law" and "is nonviolent and is committed to nonviolence," opposing participation in wars, military funding and arms exports, while committing to run candidates at every level of government, increase public participation and operate transparently.
Its most high-profile candidate is Chris Campbell, who will appear alongside Republican Andy Barr and Democrat Charles Booker in the race for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Mitch McConnell. Campbell's platform includes a three-year moratorium on data center development, stronger safeguards around super intelligence and investment in Kentucky's hemp industry. He got on the ballot after collecting the 5,000 signatures required by state law.
Other candidates include Pete Lynch, a political science lecturer at the University of Kentucky, running in the 6th Congressional District against Republican nominee Ralph Alvarado and Democratic nominee Zach Dembo; Amanda Settell, running for a magistrate seat in Fayette County; and perennial candidate Geoff Young, running for a state legislature seat in Lexington.
Party co-founder Geoff Sebesta — who ran for secretary of state as a Democrat in 2019 — said the party is not trying to replace the Democrats and Republicans: "We are basically a boutique of electoral supporters. We put Kentuckians on the ballot." While the party's candidates won't appear in major pre-election polling, Campbell said the third option matters to voters disillusioned with both major parties.
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Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 公共领域，作者 Daderot（肯塔基州议会大厦外景，法兰克福，实景照片）
