UPDATE: Two have qualified to seek District 12 state senate seat

First two to announce also first two to qualify

November 22, 2021

Steve Rogers,

UPDATE POSTED 12:30 P.M. NOV. 22, 2021

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – The first two candidates to announce candidacies for the District 12 State Senate seat being vacated by incumbent Alice Forgy-Kerr also are the first two candidates to formally qualify.

Small business owner Andrew Cooperrider announced his intentions last summer to run for the seat. He qualified Nov. 19, running as a Republican.

Not long after Cooperrider announced plans, 10th District Urban County Council member Amanda Mays Bledsoe announced similar plans. Monday, she formally qualified with her family looking on.

Bledsoe also qualified as a Republican.

Two other people — retired educator and current education consultant Paula Setser-Kissick and Ross Mann, a Lexington attorney, have said they plan on running but as of Monday morning have not qualified.

UPDATE POSTED 9:30 A.M. AUG. 31, 2021

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – Retired educator and current education consultant Paula Setser-Kissick is running for the District 12 state Senate seat currently held by Alice Forgy Kerr, who is retiring.

Setser-Kissick ran in 2018 against Kerr when nobody else filed to challenge her, and almost pulled the upset over the then 20-year veteran. Setser-Kissick came up only 722 votes short.

Setser-Kissick, who ran as a Democrat in 2018, said she plans to run a campaign based on access to affordable health care, fully funding public education, and making South Lexington a great place to live, play, raise a family, and start and run a business.

“This is no time for political extremism; I am happy to offer a campaign of common sense, community, and building a bright and better future as we fight and ultimately defeat this pandemic,” Setser-Kissick said in her campaign announcement.

The Republican and Democratic primaries are next May with the general election in November.

The district covers the southern and eastern edges of Fayette County.

Three other candidates also have announced plans to seek the seat next year. They include 10th District Urban County Council member Amanda Mays Bledsoe, business owner Andrew Cooperrider and Lexington attorney Ross Mann.

UPDATE POSTED 10:30 A.M. AUG. 23, 2021

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – A third person announces their campaign for what is shaping up to be a crowded District 12 state Senate race next year.

Ross Mann, a Lexington attorney, formally launched his campaign Monday by promising to refuse legislative pension and benefits, donate his salary to charity, and to serve only two terms if elected.

Mann, a Republican, is seeking the southern Fayette County seat currently held by Sen. Alice Forgy Kerr, who recently announced she would not seek re-election next year.

Mann has officially filed a letter of intent to run in the May 2022 Primary Election with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, and has seeded his campaign with an initial $50,000 personal investment to signal his strong commitment to the race.

“Kentucky needs leadership from real people, not career politicians,” Mann said. “I will be a fresh, bold constitutional conservative who will stand up for our district in the State Senate.”

“I want to give, and not take. I want to go to Frankfort to be a true servant of the people, not to play political games,” Mann said.

In his announcement video, Mann also highlighted his support for a cap on insulin costs for diabetics, for enhanced mental health services, and for imposing the nation’s strongest penalties against those who harm police as well as those who engage in human trafficking.

The Republican and Democratic primaries are next May with the general election in November.

The district covers the southern and eastern edges of Fayette County.

Business owner Andrew Cooperrider announced his plans in late July and has been holding events since then. Recently, 10th District Urban County Council member Amanda Mays Bledsoe announced her intentions to run.

Cooperrider grabbed headlines in the last year with his challenges to Gov. Andy Beshear’s mandates and executive orders related to trying to curb the spread of the COVID pandemic. Cooperrider joined in lawsuits challenging the governor’s authority and drew praise from conservative groups.

Bledsoe has served on the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council for seven years. During this time, she has guided the council as Chair of the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee. While overseeing the $400 million dollar budget, Bledsoe initiated a workforce development grant program and led the creation of the Small Business Grant program, which supports small businesses during the pandemic.

ORIGINAL STORY POSTED AUG. 12, 2021

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – Two people already have announced plans to seek the District 12 State Senate seat being vacated next year by Republican Alice Forgy Kerr, who announced recently she isn’t seeking re-election.

The Republican and Democratic primaries are next May with the general election in November.

The district covers the southern and eastern edges of Fayette County.

Business owner Andrew Cooperrider announced his plans in late July and has been holding events since then. Thursday, 10th District Urban County Council member Amanda Mays Bledsoe announced her intentions to run.