45th Kentucky legislative race features two first-time candidates

The race for District 45 in the Kentucky House of Representatives pits two newcomers against each other. Republican Thomas Jefferson and Democrat Adam Moore are vying for the central Kentucky seat, which includes a sizeable portion of southwest Lexington.

60-year-old Thomas Jefferson, who moved to Lexington more than four decades ago, upended incumbent GOP representative Killian Timoney in the May Primary.

One of the biggest legislative issues is the question on the November ballot to allow for school choice through a voucher program. Jefferson supports the amendment. If approved, it would pave the way for public tax dollars to be used for private school tuition. Jefferson said he supports public schools, and this change could reduce class size. He gives the example of 3 students out of 30 using vouchers.

“What that would do is allow that teacher to give more time to every single student and that would raise them up and raise their scores up and make it a better environment for that teacher,” said Jefferson.

39-year-old Democrat Adam Moore grew up in Franklin County, once interned in Washington for Mitch McConnell. The military veteran changed his registration from Republican to Democrat in 2020, saying the GOP had moved too far to the right. On the question of school vouchers, Moore said his family would benefit from such a change. He said if he and his wife have trouble paying tuition, they could apply for financial aid or scholarships.

“School choice exists in Kentucky. Andrea chose to send Remy to Wilmore Crossing Academy. That was a choice and if we need help we can apply for it. It’s not your job as a taxpayer to pay for mine and Andrea’s choice where we send our son to school,” said Moore.

Another education issue prominent in this fall’s election is the future of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in education settings. Two DEI bills were considered but didn’t pass in the 2024 General Assembly Session. Moore said he doesn’t think Frankfort needs to make all the rules on how universities, for instance, operate.

“I think colleges and universities should be places for diversity, should be places for inclusiveness. I don’t think those are bad words at all. Now, whether or not there needs to be an official program office that is called the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion…I think that that’s not something that Frankfort has to decide,” said Moore.

Jefferson said he’s against a specific DEI policy in education. He said the founding fathers of the country wanted equal opportunity for all but didn’t require equal outcomes. Jefferson said it comes from work ethic from each individual person.

“To mandate equal outcomes, it’s basically….it’s terrible to go ahead and exclude people that really try to demand the best of themselves. It marginalizes them,” said Jefferson.

Abortion remains a hot-button issue during the 2024 election. For some, it’s fair to say, positions on abortion and reproductive rights play a major role in how they vote. Jefferson said the issue is “settled law” with the overturn of Roe V Wade. He said there are times when exceptions should be considered, but he would need to see how such a bill is written.

“There would have to be different things such as counseling and ultrasounds done. And there would have to be time constraints. They would have to be other things that would be involved for me to consider the exceptions, but I have an open mind,” said Jefferson.

Moore, meanwhile, calls the current law as reflecting “draconian abortion bans.” He said no one is for abortions, but Moore said there are medical necessities. Moore said viability at 24 weeks is a pertinent issue.

“I think there is a misnomer democrats want late-term abortions, that’s 8th month and ninth month, which is just patently false unless the mother is gonna die without the procedure. But, I think most of us fall in the 20 to 24 weeks, whatever the medical community says is that point of viability,” said Moore.

For Moore, he’s concerned about the newly passed Safer Kentucky Act as it relates to cracking down on homeless encampments. He said incarceration is not the answer, but instead focusing on what causes homelessness.

And for Jefferson on the issue of immigration, he admits the issue needs attention first at the federal level. But after that, he sees a role for states to take steps as well. Jefferson claims the smuggling of drugs into the U.S. is at a rate never seen before.

One of these political candidate first-timers will take a seat in the 100-member House Chamber come January.

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