Feb. 7 – WILLIAMSBURG – Kelly Craft stopped by the Williamsburg Convention Center on Friday as part of her kitchen table tour focused on conversations with Kentuckians about the future of the state as she campaigns for the race for governor of Kentucky in 2023.
Craft, a former United Nations ambassador who is running for the Republican nomination, pointed to the state’s problems with changes in education, job creation in Kentucky and the fight against drug trafficking and of humans in Bluegrass.
Several questions were asked, but the majority of them related to education and benefits for teachers.
Sherry Paul has worked in the field of education for over 30 years and shared her story of her experiences with children in the school system and her concern for human trafficking in the area.
“I was pleased with her response. She wants to redesign the Kentucky Department of Education so that we have more local control,” Paul explained. “My other concern was human trafficking because being in the school system I see a lot of kids going the wrong way and I feel like we can start before they get there so that ‘they don’t get into human trafficking and things like that. It’s been a little harder here because we’re located here on I-75.
If elected, Craft wants to completely transform Kentucky’s education system.
“Today has been a phenomenal day of traveling and listening, which is what I did traveling around the state of Kentucky, just listening because when you listen you can ask questions,” said said Craft. “What I see is that we have an education problem and I want to make sure we hold our Kentucky Department of Education accountable.”
Craft’s campaign focused on building a future for children in Kentucky.
Twelve-year-old political enthusiast Reed Elliotte was there to hear Craft’s campaign message and had the opportunity to have a chat with Craft.
“It was a real honor to meet her. I love meeting politicians. Politics is in my future and I feel like we can make our country a better place,” Elliotte said. “With everything going on, I just think Democrats and Republicans should get along rather than argue and just compromise and try to make the world a better place.”
“It’s the future here,” Craft said of Elliotte. “We need to prepare our kids for the 21st century workforce and give them the opportunity to choose college programs or four- or two-year technical programs and they graduate with skills.
Craft also addressed the drug problem in Kentucky.
“We have a major drug problem,” she said. “Every law enforcement roundtable I’ve had the honor of listening to, they’ve shared these concerns and they need to be addressed.”
Craft reflected on his time in the southeast region of the state.
“Hearing people’s stories and their personal issues was an honor and knowing that everyone in the state of Kentucky wants the same thing,” Craft explained. “We want a better future for our children.”
According to recent Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy polls, she is the No. 2 GOP candidate with 13 percent behind Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who has 39 percent. The poll said 28% remained undecided as of the last week of January.