MIDWAY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Former Lexington state representative Cherlynn Stevenson kicked off her 2026 congressional campaign in Midway on Tuesday, framing the race as "billionaires versus you" rather than a partisan battle.
"I think people are hungry for somebody who listens to them," Stevenson told LEX 18 News. "Growing up in eastern Kentucky, with a mom who was a teacher and a dad who worked in coal, I know the struggles of everyday Kentuckians." "I am prepared to meet them where they are, listen to the worries that they have, and fight for them in Washington," she added. "I believe that most people aren't interested in the political division. They're looking for a champion for them and their family."
Stevenson told supporters at her campaign launch that she wants to focus on "the issues that matter." She explained that includes affordable healthcare, better jobs, and lowering the cost of living.
If Kentucky's 6th District voters send her to Congress, she said she will be "someone who works for Kentucky families," not billionaires and the "corporate elite."
"I think that we're quickly coming to a time where it's no longer going to be red versus blue," Stevenson told LEX 18. "It's going to be billionaire versus you."
"I'm an everyday Kentuckian. My husband and I are not wealthy. I did not come from wealth. I know what it's like to get up and go to work every day," she added. "My husband at one point had a medical emergency. We did not have health insurance, so we were staring down thousands of dollars of medical debt. I know those struggles. I know what it's like to go to bed at night and lay your head down and worry how you're going to pay your bills."
Stevenson's promise to focus on "real issues" sounds a lot like Gov. Andy Beshear's pitch to voters. The Democratic governor has found statewide electoral success focusing on issues that impact everyday people.
He had success in Kentucky's 6th congressional district with his approach, most recently winning the district by about 20 points.
Stevenson believes she too can flip the district blue. She points to her experience flipping a Kentucky House seat in 2018.
"We talked to everyone. We tried to be sure that we were reaching out to people on all sides of the political aisle," she explained. "I am not about party. I'm about people and I think that authenticity, hopefully, will shine through. That people will know that I am just like them and I want to go to Washington to fight for them and their families."
"It was enough to flip a seat to go into Frankfort and we believe it's going to be enough to get to Washington as well," she added.
But the district has given Republicans big wins as well. Current Congressman Andy Barr and President Donald Trump found success in the area.
Barr won his last three elections by an average of 24 points. Trump won the district by about 15 percentage points.
And while Stevenson won her Kentucky House seat three times, she lost to a Republican last year.
The Republican Party of Kentucky believes a Republican will win the congressional race in 2026, keeping the seat red.
"Let’s be clear: the 6th District is Trump Country — rock-solid Republican ground where liberal pipe dreams go to die," said party spokesperson Andy Westberry. "If the [Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee] thinks Cherlynn Stevenson is their ticket to a majority, they’re more delusional than we thought."
"This district will send another conservative fighter to Washington, and Democrats will be left wondering why they even bothered," Westberry added.
