“Ferguson’s gone…are we ready for constructive change?”; Fayette County News; 5-29-24

Ferguson’s gone…are we ready for constructive change?

Rep. Drew Ferguson will not run for reelection. District 3 voters have a chance for a new, positive direction. And, given the close margins in the US House of Representatives (217 GOP and 213 Democrat), a return to a functional House. As we had under Pelosi and the Democrats.

The GOP controlled House has trouble tying its own shoelaces much less get legislation passed. Radicals like Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene keep trying to eject Speaker Mike Johnson, a conservative MAGA guy, for not being right-wing enough. 

Speaker Johnson is holding on by a thread; therefore, he waits for Trump to give his blessings before acting on any legislation. For example, the Senate was about to send over a very conservative GOP inspired immigration control bill. But Trump called Speaker Johnson, said immigration reform would take away an election issue for him… and told the Speaker to kill it. So, we have no new legislation stopping illegal entry into the US.

There were 5 GOP candidates in the Republican House primary. Brian Jack and Mike Dugan qualified for a runoff. And losing candidates Mike Crane, Phil Singleton, and Jim Bennett. All promoted the same wildly inaccurate MAGA messages (“Joe Biden’s radical, socialist agenda” per Singleton). All were short on specifics and solutions, pushing hot button MAGA talking points instead.

Jack emphasized his endorsement by Trump, plus being anti-immigration, anti-abortion, and pro-guns. Dugan hit on Bidenomics, removing “divisive concepts” in schools (like teaching about slavery), crime/drugs, and immigration.

Losing candidate’s position were similar. Crane hit federal spending, inflation, DC bureaucrats, and debt. Singleton zeroed in on immigration, school vouchers, spending, inflation, guns, trans, abortion and limiting environmental measures (cancelling the Green New Deal). Bennet was similar.

Lots of rhetoric but few viable proposals. No matter which one of them won, their election was not going to help to get things done in DC.

There were 2 Democrats running-Maura Keller and Val Amonord. Keller won the nomination.

Their positions were very different from the GOP, but similar to each other. Keller emphasized the economy and economic equity, reproductive freedom of choice, immigration reform, gun control, equal rights, voting rights, environmental justice, and prison reform. Amonord pushed free college tuition, climate change measures, equal rights, voting rights and expansion of healthcare access. 

On the GOP side, we will have more of the same, no matter who wins the runoff.In either Jack or Dugan we have someone who will simply continue the dysfunctional GOP controlled House. We will have someone with views that are radical and a refusal to consider moderate options which might be considered and implemented via bipartisan legislation. 

But we have a real choice for positive change. Keller stands for values that are ingrained in America. She wants women to be able to be free to control their own bodies, reasonable restraints on who should own a gun, stronger border security, securing voting rights for all citizens, and controlling the impending climate crisis.

Keller’s a retired Lieutenant Colonel with 26 years in the Army. Many years ago, while still a teenager, she became a military policewoman. She came face to face with the complex realities of sexism in American society. These rules signified to her that she was not seen as competent or valuable… and certainly not equal. So, she made it her mission to stand up to discrimination whenever it presented itself. The only way to change the rules was to get into “good trouble”, so that’s exactly what she did.

These experiences made her who she is today…someone willing to fight the good fight for all District 3 residents. And someone we should vote for if we want change and political compromise to get things done in a dysfunctional Washington.

In November, we have a clear choice between 2 views- MAGA extremism and moderation. Our District is heavily red. But a GOP controlled, dysfunctional, radical House of Representatives has hurt our residents and our nation.  Keller is clearly the best choice.