(LEX 18) — A new Democratic candidate has entered the race for Kentucky's 6th Congressional District, which represents Lexington and central Kentucky.
Zach Dembo, a 39-year-old ninth-generation Kentuckian, announced his candidacy on Thursday, joining what is shaping up to be a competitive race.
Dembo, who has never held public office before, sees his political outsider status as an advantage. He also points to his career in public service as a qualification for the role.
His background includes working as a teacher, military lawyer, policy advisor for Governor Andy Beshear, and most recently as a federal prosecutor.
"I was a federal prosecutor, prosecuting cases right here in this courthouse, fighting corruption and protecting civil rights and constitutional rights," Dembo said.
Dembo revealed he recently resigned from his position at the Department of Justice due to concerns about the Trump administration.
"I swore an oath to the Constitution and not any one person," Dembo said. "I was a federal prosecutor during the first Trump Administration, and though I had very serious policy and political disagreements, I felt I could still do my job and protect the American people."
"I'm sorry to say, as has been publicly reported in a lot of news outlets, that's no longer the mission of the Department of Justice. It appears to be solely serving one political interest, which is the president's, and enabling corruption," Dembo added.
The Department of Justice is currently facing some criticism over the Epstein files. Many Trump supporters want the files released despite the president recently calling them a "hoax."
When asked if he supports the release of the files, Dembo said conflicting information from the Trump Administration is causing confusion.
"I'm a little bit unclear right, based on the conflicting reports coming from the Attorney General, as to whether the Epstein files exist or not. So, the first thing I would ask is we need to know the truth about whether they do exist. That sort of discussion and the inconsistent statements coming from the Department leadership are a great example of why I had to resign in the first place and why I'm taking this step," Dembo said.
On the issues that will define his campaign, Dembo says he plans to focus on matters directly affecting everyday Kentuckians.
"I'm going to be laser focused on issues that affect the lives of everyday Kentuckians, like access to affordable healthcare, like good quality jobs and making sure we have a safe community," Dembo said.
Dembo also emphasized the need to lower the cost of living in Central Kentucky.
"Central Kentucky deserves to have a representative in Washington who stands up for families, works to lower their cost of living, expands access to affordable healthcare, and protects their safety," Dembo said in a press release announcing his campaign. "Instead, D.C. politicians have put Medicaid on the chopping block, tariffs are targeting our most prized industries and jobs, and everything costs more – all while they give billionaires and coastal elites a massive tax break."
Other Democrats already in the race are former state representative Cherlynn Stevenson and former Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilman David Kloiber. Three Republicans are also running. State representatives Deanna Gordon of Richmond and Ryan Dotson of Winchester announced their campaigns earlier this summer. Former state senator Ralph Alvarado announced his candidacy the same day as Dembo.
