Geoff Young
Geoff M. Young (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District. He lost in the Democratic primary on May 21, 2024.
Young completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Geoff Young was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Young graduated from Marblehead High School in 1974.[1] He earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1977, a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1981, and a master's degree in agricultural economics from the University of Kentucky in 1988. His career experience includes working as assistant director of the Kentucky Division of Energy and as an environmental engineer in the Energy and Environment Cabinet. Young has been affiliated with the Sierra Club, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, Democratic Socialists of America, and Lexington Friends Meeting (Quakers).[2][3][4]
Elections
2024
See also: Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024
Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024 (May 21 Republican primary)
Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024 (May 21 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Kentucky District 3
Incumbent Morgan McGarvey defeated Mike Craven, Daniel Cobble, and Jared Randall in the general election for U.S. House Kentucky District 3 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Morgan McGarvey (D) | 61.9 | 203,100 |
 | Mike Craven (R) | 38.0 | 124,713 | |
 | Daniel Cobble (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 27 | |
 | Jared Randall (D) (Write-in)  | 0.0 | 24 | |
| Total votes: 327,864 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 3
Incumbent Morgan McGarvey defeated Geoff M. Young and Jared Randall in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 3 on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Morgan McGarvey | 84.1 | 44,275 |
 | Geoff M. Young | 11.2 | 5,875 | |
| Jared Randall | 4.7 | 2,491 | |
| Total votes: 52,641 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 3
Mike Craven defeated Denny Ormerod in the Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 3 on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mike Craven | 75.2 | 15,397 |
| Denny Ormerod | 24.8 | 5,074 | ||
| Total votes: 20,471 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Young in this election.
2023
See also: Kentucky gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2023
General election
General election for Governor of Kentucky
Incumbent Andy Beshear defeated Daniel Cameron and Brian Fishback in the general election for Governor of Kentucky on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Andy Beshear (D) | 52.5 | 694,482 |
 | Daniel Cameron (R) | 47.5 | 627,457 | |
| Brian Fishback (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 83 | ||
| Total votes: 1,322,022 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Kentucky
Incumbent Andy Beshear defeated Geoff M. Young and Peppy Martin in the Democratic primary for Governor of Kentucky on May 16, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Andy Beshear | 91.3 | 176,589 |
| Geoff M. Young | 5.1 | 9,865 | |
 | Peppy Martin | 3.6 | 6,913 | |
| Total votes: 193,367 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Kentucky
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Kentucky on May 16, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Daniel Cameron | 47.7 | 144,576 |
 | Ryan Quarles | 21.7 | 65,718 | |
 | Kelly Knight Craft | 17.2 | 52,170 | |
 | Eric Deters | 5.8 | 17,464 | |
 | Mike Harmon | 2.6 | 7,797 | |
 | Alan Keck | 2.4 | 7,317 | |
 | David Cooper | 0.8 | 2,282 | |
 | Jacob Clark | 0.6 | 1,900 | |
 | Robbie Smith | 0.5 | 1,388 | |
 | Bob DeVore | 0.3 | 931 | |
| Johnny Ray Rice | 0.2 | 726 | ||
| Denny Ormerod | 0.2 | 696 | ||
| Total votes: 302,965 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Savannah Maddox (R)
2022
See also: Kentucky's 6th Congressional District election, 2022
General election
General election for U.S. House Kentucky District 6
Incumbent Andy Barr defeated Geoff M. Young, Randy Cravens, and Maxwell Froedge in the general election for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Andy Barr (R) | 62.7 | 154,762 |
| Geoff M. Young (D) | 33.6 | 83,005 | |
 | Randy Cravens (D) (Write-in) | 3.6 | 8,970 | |
| Maxwell Froedge (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 81 | ||
| Total votes: 246,818 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 6
Geoff M. Young defeated Christopher Preece in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Geoff M. Young | 51.7 | 25,722 |
 | Christopher Preece | 48.3 | 24,007 | |
| Total votes: 49,729 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Scott Etter (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 6
Incumbent Andy Barr defeated Derek Leonard Petteys in the Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 on May 17, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Andy Barr | 87.8 | 47,660 |
 | Derek Leonard Petteys | 12.2 | 6,593 | |
| Total votes: 54,253 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2020
See also: Kentucky's 6th Congressional District election, 2020
Kentucky's 6th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 23 Republican primary)
Kentucky's 6th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 23 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Kentucky District 6
Incumbent Andy Barr defeated Josh Hicks and Frank Harris in the general election for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Andy Barr (R) | 57.3 | 216,948 |
 | Josh Hicks (D) | 41.0 | 155,011 | |
 | Frank Harris (L) | 1.7 | 6,491 | |
| Total votes: 378,450 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 6
Josh Hicks defeated Daniel Kemph in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 on June 23, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Josh Hicks | 72.4 | 81,305 |
 | Daniel Kemph | 27.6 | 31,064 | |
| Total votes: 112,369 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 6
Incumbent Andy Barr defeated Chuck Eddy and Geoff M. Young in the Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 on June 23, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Andy Barr | 90.7 | 62,706 |
 | Chuck Eddy | 5.3 | 3,636 | |
| Geoff M. Young | 4.0 | 2,765 | |
| Total votes: 69,107 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. House Kentucky District 6
Frank Harris advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 on March 7, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Frank Harris (L) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2019
See also: Kentucky gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2019
General election
General election for Governor of Kentucky
Andy Beshear defeated incumbent Matt Bevin and John Hicks in the general election for Governor of Kentucky on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Andy Beshear (D) | 49.2 | 709,890 |
 | Matt Bevin (R) | 48.8 | 704,754 | |
 | John Hicks (L) | 2.0 | 28,433 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 46 | ||
| Total votes: 1,443,123 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Kentucky
Andy Beshear defeated Rocky Adkins, Adam Edelen, and Geoff M. Young in the Democratic primary for Governor of Kentucky on May 21, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Andy Beshear | 37.9 | 149,448 |
 | Rocky Adkins | 31.9 | 125,981 | |
 | Adam Edelen | 27.9 | 110,161 | |
| Geoff M. Young | 2.3 | 8,923 | |
| Total votes: 394,513 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Kentucky
Incumbent Matt Bevin defeated Robert Goforth, William Woods, and Ike Lawrence in the Republican primary for Governor of Kentucky on May 21, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Matt Bevin | 52.3 | 136,069 |
 | Robert Goforth | 38.9 | 101,345 | |
 | William Woods | 5.5 | 14,440 | |
 | Ike Lawrence | 3.2 | 8,412 | |
| Total votes: 260,266 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Kentucky, 2018
General election
General election for U.S. House Kentucky District 6
Incumbent Andy Barr defeated Amy McGrath, Frank Harris, Rikka Wallin, and James Germalic in the general election for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Andy Barr (R) | 51.0 | 154,468 |
 | Amy McGrath (D) | 47.8 | 144,736 | |
| Frank Harris (L) | 0.7 | 2,150 | |
 | Rikka Wallin (Independent) | 0.3 | 1,011 | |
| James Germalic (Independent) | 0.2 | 523 | ||
| Total votes: 302,888 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Mikel Bradley (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 6
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Amy McGrath | 48.7 | 48,860 |
 | Jim Gray | 40.5 | 40,684 | |
 | Reggie Thomas | 7.2 | 7,226 | |
| Geoff M. Young | 1.6 | 1,574 | |
| Daniel Kemph | 1.2 | 1,240 | |
| Theodore Green | 0.8 | 835 | ||
| Total votes: 100,419 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 6
Incumbent Andy Barr defeated Chuck Eddy in the Republican primary for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 on May 22, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Andy Barr | 83.8 | 40,514 |
| Chuck Eddy | 16.2 | 7,858 | |
| Total votes: 48,372 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Andy Barr (R) won re-election to his third term, defeating challenger Nancy Jo Kemper (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Barr defeated Roger Brill in the Republican primary, while Kemper defeated Geoff Young to win the Democratic nomination. The primary elections took place on May 17, 2016.[5][6]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Andy Barr Incumbent |
61.1% | 202,099 | |
| Democratic | Nancy Jo Kemper | 38.9% | 128,728 | |
| Total Votes | 330,827 | |||
| Source: Kentucky Secretary of State | ||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Andy Barr Incumbent |
84.5% | 25,212 | ||
| Roger Brill | 15.5% | 4,608 | ||
| Total Votes | 29,820 | |||
| Source: Kentucky State Board of Elections |
||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Nancy Jo Kemper |
80.1% | 63,440 | ||
| Geoff Young | 19.9% | 15,772 | ||
| Total Votes | 79,212 | |||
| Source: Kentucky State Board of Elections |
||||
2015
Republican Matt Bevin and his running mate, Jenean M. Hampton, defeated Attorney General Jack Conway and independent Drew Curtis.[7]
| Governor and Lieutenant Governor, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Matt Bevin/Jenean M. Hampton |
52.5% | 511,771 | |
| Democrat | Jack Conway/Sannie Overly | 43.8% | 426,827 | |
| Independent | Drew Curtis/Heather Curtis | 3.7% | 35,627 | |
| Total Votes | 974,225 | |||
| Election results via Kentucky Secretary of State | ||||
| Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky Democratic Primary, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
| Jack Conway/Sannie Overly |
78.8% | 140,627 | ||
| Geoff Young/Johnathan Masters | 21.2% | 37,887 | ||
| Total Votes | 178,514 | |||
| Election results via Kentucky State Board of Elections. | ||||
2014
Young ran for election to the U.S. House, representing the 6th Congressional District of Kentucky. He was defeated by Elisabeth Jensen in the Democratic primary on May 20, 2014.[8]
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Elisabeth Jensen |
60.9% | 46,727 | ||
| Geoff Young | 39.1% | 30,035 | ||
| Total Votes | 76,762 | |||
| Source: Kentucky State Board of Elections |
||||
2012
Young ran in the 2012 election for Kentucky House of Representatives District 45 and was defeated by incumbent Stan Lee in the general election on November 6, 2012.[9]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Stan Lee Incumbent |
66.4% | 16,035 | |
| Independent | Breck Withers | 24.9% | 6,015 | |
| Green | Geoff Young | 8.7% | 2,110 | |
| Total Votes | 24,160 | |||
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Geoff M. Young completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Young's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I have been a committed, effective peace activist and environmental activist since 1976. I moved from Massachusetts to Kentucky in 1982 and worked in Frankfort for the Energy and Environment Cabinet for 15 years. My focus there was improving energy efficiency in all sectors of Kentucky's economy. If I'm elected to the US House in November, 2024, I will be the most pro-peace, pro-diplomacy, antiwar, and anti-genocide Representative in Washington.
- I will work harder for peace than any other member of Congress. The federal government must stop supporting Israel's genocide against the Palestinian people.
- Wars and excessive preparations for war are making us poor and weakening our national security. Congress must cut the so-called "Defense" budget by at least 75% and help the American people rebuild our economy, our transportation system, our health care system, and our education system.
- The Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 was the best Supreme Court decision in my lifetime, but six reckless, totally corrupt, Constitution-shredding, Republican, partisan hacks on the US Supreme Court overturned it in June 2022 for no valid reason. They simply had the votes. If all abortions are made illegal nationwide, which is the goal of the “Right-To-Life” political movement, thousands of women will die every year for lack of reproductive health care.
Ending all of our wars; cutting the so-called "Defense" budget and number of troops by at least 75%; abolishing the CIA, which has been the most evil terrorist organization in the world since it was founded in 1947; negotiating a treaty with the other nuclear powers to eliminate all nuclear weapons worldwide; protecting all American women's right to reproductive health care; getting money out of politics; breaking up the 10 hugest mainstream media corporations; abolishing the Federal Reserve; increasing taxes on the 1 percent and America's billionaires; cleaning up corruption; and protecting the environment.
Mohandas K. Gandhi because he developed many effective, nonviolent methods for helping the people of India make large-scale political and social changes in their country. He was considered "the Father of Indian Independence" from the British Empire.
1. Courage, because it's often necessary to stand against an enraged mob of legislators and explain exactly why going to war is the worst possible strategy. Or why the Constitution does not allow the President to assassinate a foreign leader or bomb a foreign city. Or why my own party's most powerful leader, even the President, must be impeached.
2. An open mind and the ability to change one's position if it's shown to be wrong.
3. The ability to work with other people on issues where we agree, even if I've just called them ignorant, savage, genocide-supporting neocons on a different issue.
Catch-22, because it exposed the insanity of war in a very humorous and satirical way.
Getting the Kentucky Democratic Party, the Republican Party of Kentucky, and Kentucky Educational Television to obey Kentucky's election laws. So far, I have had no success in doing that, but I have another active lawsuit against them right now, and I might win this one.
Our current "leaders" in all four branches of our government are the worst we've ever had in our nation's history. The four branches are the Legislative, Executive and Judicial Branches, plus the Fourth Estate - the mass media. These “leaders” are driving America into a concrete wall. The State Department is unable and unwilling to practice real diplomacy. Instead, it relies on threats, regime-change operations, and attempting to bomb other countries into submission. Both parties are totally corrupt. We, the American people, must throw the bums out and try to regain the trust of the rest of the world. Right now, America is the greatest threat to the survival of humanity.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2023
Geoff M. Young did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Geoff M. Young completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Young's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I was born and raised in Massachusetts. I went to MIT, got a bachelor's in Economics, and took two classes with Noam Chomsky on US foreign policies after World War 2. I became an antiwar activist (part-time), moved to Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky in 1982, and have lived here ever since. I have mater's degrees in Mechanical Engineering from UMass (Amherst) and Agricultural Economics from UK. I worked in Frankfort for 15 years in the state energy office, which has the mission of promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies in all sectors of Kentucky's economy. I started running against Andy Barr (R-Pro-War Neocon) in 2013, and I've learned enough since then to be able to beat him this time.
- The so-called "defense" budget must be cut by at least 60%. If we blunder into a war against Russia and China, our country will be destroyed economically and militarily.
- Abolish the CIA because it gets us into wars and is the worst terrorist organization in the world today.
- All elections should be publicly financed because big money in politics has corrupted our entire political process. Other countries have developed effective ways to get money out of politics, and we should imitate them.
Almost all of our foreign policies must be changed because the world has changed. Washington no longer dominates the rest of the world, and that's a good thing. Washington's worst strategic blunder was to threaten the national security of both China and Russia. One would've been dangerous enough, but ignorant, aggressive, hostile, violent US policies have forced Russia & China to become allies. If we try to fight them both, we will be defeated and the USA will cease to exist. It will break up into small, violent regions run by warlords. If, in desperation, Washington uses nuclear weapons, a global nuclear war will happen, followed by a nuclear winter, and humanity will be wiped out forever.
Gandhi, and an American leader who was inspired by Gandhi: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. They both used nonviolent actions such as speeches, marches, rallies, and boycotts to generate lasting changes in their societies.
By far the most important quality is a desire to find out the truth about any given issue and to challenge falsehoods, even if they are widely-accepted falsehoods. I have a highly-developed BS detector.
Elected officials must be incorruptible. They should be in this profession to make America better, not for personal ego gratification or personal gain.
Elected officials must have the courage to stand up for peace, even when the mainstream media and their colleagues are braying for war.
I'm a good listener. I don't open my mouth without knowing that I can back up what I'm saying with facts and logic. I can work well in groups and compromise when that's appropriate. I have a lot of determination, and I work hard to make a difference. I'm incorruptible. I have turned down offers of support because they had strings attached that I didn't feel good about. I hate injustice and false propaganda.
Catch-22, because it uses humor and satire to show the absurdity and insanity of war.
The American people, our politicians and our generals must adjust to the fact that our military and the US dollar no longer dominate the world. We have to change our self-image and become a normal, constructive, law-abiding member of the community of nations, not the single "exceptional" nation that tries to control every other country's internal decisions. America should join the International Criminal Court because it is hypocritical of us to criticize human rights violations in other countries while refusing to accept the court's jurisdiction over American war criminals.
The half-dozen huge, mass media corporations must be broken up because they have all come under the control of America's billionaires and the military-industrial-"intelligence" complex. They do nothing but spew imperialist, pro-war propaganda and "entertainment" that distracts us from what is most important.
I am opposed to censorship of the internet because the censors always end up working for the military-industrial-"intelligence" complex.
1. The House Foreign Affairs Committee.
I am one of Kentucky's foremost experts in US foreign policy. I plan to replace any one of the pro-war, neoconservative Democrats now on the committee.
I will propose sweeping changes in the tax code to raise the marginal tax rate for billionaires and multi-millionaires while lowering taxes for working people. I will also float the idea of a wealth tax, with the aim of setting a maximum wealth level for all American citizens; possibly $100 million or so. I am a Bernie Sanders Democrat when it comes to domestic policy.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
Young's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
1. Abolish the CIA I put up a billboard that says, “Abolish the CIA.” Why? Because it's the worst terrorist organization in the world today. Ever since the CIA was founded in 1947 it has gotten us into one illegal, immoral war after another. The CIA has tortured many prisoners, for example at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, and has trained thousands of foreign torturers who work for countries allied to Washington. Their so-called “intelligence” is almost always wrong. CIA officials are frequently caught lying to Congress and the American people. The CIA also smuggles addictive drugs like heroin and cocaine into America and profits from the drug trade. The opiate addiction that has plagued Kentucky is not Kentucky's fault; it was inflicted upon us by the CIA. The CIA was almost certainly involved in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy (D) in 1963. We have 16 other agencies that gather intelligence on what other countries are doing, and the CIA has the worst record among these members of America's "Intelligence Community." Abolishing the CIA and ending all of our immoral, illegal wars is the simplest way to make our country more secure, not less. Millions of people around the world, including me, regard our military invasions as illegal aggression, which is the supreme international crime, and we end up with more and more enemies. Military empires always go bankrupt and collapse when they make too many enemies and start too many wars, even if each enemy is small; and Iran, Russia and China are not small countries. Washington is stoking the fires of anti-American hatred by maintaining about 900 military bases all around the world and assassinating foreign military leaders and innocent civilians. All of the world's other countries combined have only about 30 military bases outside their own countries. Peace is my top priority, and it's not even on Andy Barr's list. He has always been a reckless, vicious, pro-war, ignorant neocon, and as such, he supports all U.S. wars that the military-industrial complex supports - even if they're illegal and immoral. On February 4, 2022, Barr voted against H.R. 4521, the America COMPETES Act of 2022: the Bioeconomy Research and Development Act. Almost every Democrat voted for it, and almost every Republican voted against it. The final vote was 222-210, so it was sent to the Senate. I would've voted for it because I believe it would have helped America's R&D efforts in an area of increasing importance to our economy. Barr issued a press release that tried to explain why he voted against it. The title of the press release was, "Barr Votes Against the America Concedes to China Act," which one could call a misleading name. I would call it an intentional misrepresentation that Barr used to appeal to the Republican base, which has been indoctrinated to hate China. One reason Barr cited was that the bill didn't include "any provisions preventing the funding from going to projects in China that use Uyghur Slave Labor." Through my own independent research that looked at all sides of that issue, I found and concluded that the accusation that China forces members of the Uyghur ethnic group to work as slaves is totally false propaganda. So Barr constantly repeats a vicious claim against China's human rights record when the evidence strongly suggest that the claim is totally false and fraudulent; and he also voted against a bill that would have been good for our economy at home. No one likes to see false propaganda and illegal sanctions used against their country. China and Russia are now allies, partly because the US government and the mainstream media corporations keep threatening their national security, lying about them, and trying to damage their economies. Conclusion: Andy Barr is a clear & present danger to our troops, our economy and our national security. 2. Get Big Money out of politics Vast amounts of money in politics have corrupted our entire political system. We no longer have a republic; the entire federal government is now run by corporations, lobbyists and billionaires. Many individuals and groups are working to enact campaign finance reform, and I will work with them when I get to Washington. The group, campaignfinancereform.org has proposed a constitutional amendment that includes the following necessary reforms: 1) "Every second year, Congress shall establish a single limit on the amount of wealth each citizen may contribute or use to aid in the election or appointment of candidates seeking to represent the citizen in any government office. That limit shall not exceed one percent of the median annual income of all citizens of the United States." Explanation: "Today median income, the very middle of all income (half of Americans make more, half less) is about $36,000. So, the limit that anyone, rich or poor could give to each candidate for one election would be about $360 (1% of the median), which would automatically adjust with inflation. The phrase “seeking to represent the citizen” nullifies the Supreme Court’s decision in McCutcheon et al. v. Federal Election Commission which allowed citizens to contribute to an unlimited number of candidates throughout the country." 2) "The limit shall apply to the costs of producing and distributing messages pertaining to candidates or their campaigns when those messages are designed by the producer or distributor for audiences to witness unintentionally or without seeking the message, or the message fails to identify the source of the message. The costs of no other messages about candidates shall be limited by this amendment." Explanation: "This is the key element to nullifying the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision because it stops superPACs from advertising for candidates. Independent advertising above the $360 limit is prohibited. However, candidates can still advertise, and all other speech about candidates from any person or organization is allowed. What defines advertising here is the public's ability to choose to hear it. When you tune in to news, opinion and political satire shows, you know you're going to hear political messages in the show, so those would be exempt from this law." ... ... 4) "No wealth or assets other than those authorized by this Amendment may be contributed to candidates’ campaigns, or be used to supplement or offset the costs of candidates' campaigns. Candidates may use only the wealth and assets authorized by this Amendment to fund the cost of campaigning and advertising for election or appointment." Explanation: "All other sources of contributions and advertising are not allowed. This closes the door on independent advertising from any source other than campaigns and citizens, which must be funded under the limit. This also prevents predictable and unpredictable loopholes, like contributions to candidates from non-citizens and foreign governments, or wealthy candidates funding their own campaigns. This sweeping limitation also nullifies the portion of the Supreme Court’s decision in Buckley v. Valeo which allowed candidates to spend their unlimited personal money on their campaign; under CFR28 they are subject to the same limit as all citizens established in Section 1." I will also work to enact other laws that would help get big money out of politics and restore some democracy to our government. 3. Defund AFRICOM On October 3, 2018, Netfa Freeman and the Black Alliance for Peace published the following demands: 1. the complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from Africa, 2. the demilitarization of the African continent, and 3. the closure of U.S. military bases throughout the world. When I'm elected, I will work with my colleagues in both dominant parties to implement these just, reasonable and sensible demands. The Black Alliance for Peace and Netfa Freeman provide many reasons to do so: "Although U.S. leaders say AFRICOM is 'fighting terrorism' on the continent, in reality AFRICOM is a dangerous structure that has only increased militarism. The real reason for its existence is geopolitical competition with China. When AFRICOM was established in the months before Barack Obama assumed office as the first Black President of the United States, a majority of African nations -- led by the Pan-Africanist government of Libya -- rejected AFRICOM, forcing the new command to instead work out of Europe. But with the U.S. and NATO attack on Libya that led to the destruction of that country and the murder of its leader, Muammar Gaddafi, in 2011, corrupt African leaders began to allow AFRICOM forces to operate in their countries and establish military-to-military relations with the United States. Today, those efforts have resulted in 46 U.S. bases as well as military-to-military relations between 53 out of the 54 African countries and the United States. U.S. Special Forces troops now operate in more than a dozen African nations." The article (here's a link to it) continued: "Vice Admiral Robert Moeller (who served as the first Deputy to the Commander for Military Operations, U.S. Africa Command, from October 2007 to April 2010) declared in 2008, 'Protecting the free flow of natural resources from Africa to the global market is one of AFRICOM’s guiding principles.' "AFRICOM is the flip side of the domestic war being waged by the same repressive state structure against Black and poor people in the United States. The Black power and civil rights movement of the 60s and 70s was met with the repressive response of the FBI in the form of its COINTELPRO or Counter Intelligence Program that effectively obliterated these movements for social justice and self-determination. While in the very same era on the continent of Africa, the CIA conspired with other colonizing powers to do the exact same things, exemplified by the overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana the and the assassination of Patrice Lumumba in the Congo." 4. Help prevent a nuclear war Humanity is threatened today and every day with a nuclear war that could end all life on earth - started or triggered by the United States. You might think a nuclear war is so unlikely that it will never happen, but most of our foreign policies are so ignorant, hostile, aggressive and militaristic that a conventional war could break out at any time, for example in or near Iran, Syria, Korea or Venezuela. Any conventional war could turn into a nuclear war at any time. A nuclear war could also start by accident, and this two-minute video by the Union of Concerned Scientists explains how: The WIN/Gallup International polling organization regularly surveys people in many of the world's countries asking them which country they feel is the greatest threat to world peace. According to the survey results, the US was the overwhelming choice (24% of respondents) for the country that represents the greatest threat to peace in the world today. This was followed by Pakistan (8%), China (6%), North Korea, Israel and Iran (5%). Respondents in Russia (54%), China (49%), and Bosnia (49%) were the most fearful of the US as a threat. Here is a link to a report about one such survey: Which Country is the Greatest Threat? This result has been consistent over many years, and it does not reflect well on Washington's and Andy Barr's violent, aggressive, ignorant foreign policies. In an interview on August 9, 2019, Geoff Wilson said: "The United States and Russia have 93% of the world’s nuclear weapons. We have about 6,000; the Russians also. The Chinese have about 300 nuclear weapons. And we host them on three different platforms. We have nuclear submarines that carry ballistic missiles. We have strategic bombers that can either launch air-launch cruise missiles we have, or gravity bombs. We have the silo-based ICBMs. I don’t think that we are missing a capability. In fact, we have lots of alternatives. "The INF Treaty was around since 1987 and nobody thought that we were less safe because all of a sudden we didn’t have ground-launched missiles inside of Europe. The other part of this is that the Europeans I don’t think want any more weapons. We already base tactical nuclear weapons in several NATO countries. And those populations, those constituencies, don’t want them anymore. There’s a whole lot of talk about whether or not the United States should be allowed to base nuclear weapons in these countries." When I am elected, I will propose that our so-called "defense" budget be cut by at least 50%. Most of our "defense" budget actually goes to maintaining the US military Empire, threatening other countries and supporting coups against other countries' governments. If we stopped trying to dominate so many other countries, the U.S. would be less hated and feared all around the world. Our national security would improve because we'd have fewer enemies. Elizabeth Beavers, Senior Fellow for Data For Progress; Alexander McCoy, Political Director for Common Defense; and Sean McElwee, co-founder, Data for Progress, polled US voters and found that "Voters want to see US funding go to domestic needs such as health care, or to other national security tools like diplomacy, instead of to the Pentagon and more endless war." They also found that "an overwhelming majority of likely Democratic primary voters (73 percent ) ranked political, environmental, and economic challenges above threats of a military nature." The complete survey results are available online here. 5. We need Medicare-for-All The covid-19 pandemic has shown that countries that have single-payer health insurance systems, also known as Medicare-for-All, do much better than for-profit systems such as ours. Fewer people get sick, and a lot fewer people die. Don R. McCanne, M.D. writes for the group, Physicians for a National Health Program. Here are some of the advantages: "Single payer insurance would provide better and more affordable care for everyone. Single payer national health insurance would resolve virtually all of the major problems facing America’s health care system today." "Single payer insurance is commonly defined as a single government fund within each state which pays hospitals, physicians and other health care providers, replacing the current multi-payer system of private insurance companies and health plans. It would provide coverage for the 44 million who are uninsured. It would eliminate the financial threat and impaired access to care for the tens of millions who do have coverage but are unable to afford the out-of-pocket expenses because of deficiencies in their insurance plans. It would return to the patient free choice of physicians and hospitals, not just choice of restrictive health care plans. It would relieve businesses of administrative hassles and expenses of maintaining a health benefits program. It would remove from the health care equation the middleman - the insurance/managed care industry - that has wreaked havoc on the traditional patient-physician relationship, while diverting outrageous amounts of patient-care dollars to their own coffers. It would control health care inflation through constructive mechanisms of cost containment that improve allocation of our health care resources, rather than controlling costs through an impersonal business ethic that strips patients of care to improve the bottom line." "In sum, single payer national health insurance would provide access to high quality care for everyone at an affordable price." If you elect me to the U.S. House of Representatives, I will reintroduce the Expanded & Improved Medicare For All Act, which Representative John Conyers championed for more than 15 years before his death. It is only 11 pages long, unlike the complex, unworkable plan Hillary Clinton introduced in 1993 when she was the First Lady. John Conyers' bill - here's the text of it - was also much better than Obamacare. 6. End Corruption Corruption can cripple a state or a country. When corruption is rampant, businesses decide to locate elsewhere, people are less motivated to work hard, and criminal types gradually take over the government. According to the web site UnbiasedKyCoverage.com, "A new study by Harvard University’s Center for Ethics finds that Kentucky’s state government is among the most corrupt in the country, and second to none when it comes to the “legal corruption” of political favors in exchange for campaign contributions. Whereas the most common measure of corruption uses only federal convictions, the Harvard study measures corruption based on the perceptions of experts, surveying hundreds of news and investigative reporters covering state politics. The reporters ranked the existence of both illegal and "legal" corruption in the executive, legislative and judicial branches on a scale of 1 to 5, from not common at all to extremely common. Kentucky was one of only two states to receive the highest ranking of 5 for "legal" corruption in both the executive and legislative branches, in addition to being near the top for the judicial branch with a ranking of 3 for such corruption being moderately common." I will go after corruption regardless of partisan politics. Although I'm not a lawyer, I have been uncovering massive corruption in the Kentucky Democratic Party (KDP) since February, 2015, when the KDP allegedly rigged and stole the primary for Governor by hosting a "Unity Press Conference" in Frankfort and inviting only the Establishment's favored candidate, Jack Conway (D). I was Conway's only Democratic opponent. The KDP's defense ever since has been that they don't have to obey their own bylaws, that they have the legal right to decide who their nominee will be (regardless of the desires of Kentucky's 1.7 million registered Democrats), that they may never be accused of election fraud, that no court in America can stop them, and that they are essentially above the law. In 2020, I ran as a Republican against Andy Barr in their primary, and I discovered that the RPK rigs its own primaries in exactly the same way. If I can clean up corruption in Kentucky, I can do it in Washington DC. In December 2021 I filed a petition for certiorari in the U.S. Supreme Court against Andy Barr, and I'm working on a few more. 7. Legalize cannabis The organization MarijuanaReform.org lists five good reasons why marijuana should be legalized: 1. "Almost half of all U.S. states have already made laws in favor of the use of marijuana. Some of them have either legalized the medical or recreational use of the substance, lessened penalties for those who are in the possession or held back in serious enforcement. This has resulted in a decrease in the budget allocated for interdiction and prosecution in the said states. In fact, ever since Colorado legalized recreational cannabis, both the state’s violent crime and property crime rates have decreased. 2. It costs more to keep marijuana illegal. Billions of dollars are spent each year on law enforcement in America’s war on drugs. Since marijuana is still technically illegal in the country, marijuana consumers are prosecuted day by day — and there are a lot of them. The amount of money spent chasing these users may be put to good use in other more important projects and causes. On the flip side, making marijuana legal will allow the government to be able to collect taxes on it, which increases the government’s funds in the long run. 3. It is less toxic than other legal substances. There have been numerous studies that show that in the list of the most toxic recreational drugs, cannabis is actually at the bottom. In fact, alcohol, a legal substance that can be consumed by adults aged 21 and up, made it as the top contender. Technically, marijuana happens to be 114 times safer to consume than alcohol. 4. It possesses legitimate medical benefits. Over the last two decades, there has been a dramatic shifting in opinions regarding medical marijuana. In fact, many conservative states have already passed laws that permit the use of strains of cannabis in epilepsy patients. According to Times, cannabis has shown to alleviate a number of disorders. Aside from epilepsy, marijuana has alleviated pain from AIDS and relieved nausea from cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. 5. Prohibition has not helped. There hasn’t been any solid evidence that shows how prohibition of marijuana has helped the country get rid of it. In fact, it may have even caused more problems, such as an increase in drug use. Since marijuana is illegal, a lot of the American youth can get access to it. After all, drug dealers do not have any age restrictions with regard to who they are selling pot to. Prohibition may be countered through honest and reasonable approaches to marijuana, including proper education of the substance for both adults and the youth." 8. Energy & the environment Fifty or 100 years ago, the word "energy" in Kentucky meant coal. However, the free market has chosen other energy sources that are cheaper and cleaner than coal. With the development of high-volume hydraulic fracturing (fracking) of natural gas and oil in the 1970s and 1980s, the competitiveness of coal in the marketplace gradually declined. Between 2005 and 2010 the shale-gas industry in the United States grew by 45% a year. As a proportion of the country's overall gas production, shale gas increased from 4% in 2005 to 24% in 2012. Many old coal-burning power plants were closed, and natural gas power plants increased in number, even in Kentucky. Metallurgical coal and decreasing amounts of power plant coal will continue to be mined in Kentucky, but other solutions will continue to expand in importance. I worked in Frankfort for 15 years (1991 to 2005), most of that time as the Assistant Director of Kentucky's State Energy Office. The primary mission of that agency is to improve energy efficiency in all sectors of Kentucky's economy: "Doing More with Less." When less energy gets wasted, both the economy and the environment thrive. I know how to work with the U.S. Department of Energy to help Kentuckians waste less energy and implement renewable energy technologies such as solar, low-head hydropower, wind power, and low-impact biomass energy. I will also ask the Energy & Environment Cabinet to evaluate the feasibility of trash-to-energy power plants in Kentucky, but only if the technology has improved to the point where it doesn't damage human health and the environment. Many recent efforts to eliminate environmental regulations have been counterproductive and immoral. We have seen massive dieoffs of fish species due to the green algal blooms from farm chemical runoff. Those that don’t die are no longer safe to eat. If they are eaten by larger animals, they in turn become polluted. The negative health effects contribute to increased medical costs for everyone. Scientists are clear in their warnings for the future of humanity due to climate change and the poorly-regulated corporations which precipitate it. Through energy cooperatives that are owned by the citizens, future electric bills will be among the lowest in the nation. The change over to renewable energies will bring an explosion of jobs to the state, paying high wages, teaching valuable skilled trades, and lifting Kentuckian’s buying power. Kentucky should be a leader in the energy efficiency and renewable energy field, not a follower. 9. Tax millionaires & billionaires This concise 2012 article by Robert Reich reflects my overall philosophy when it comes to the kind of comprehensive tax reform Kentucky needs: "One of the most pernicious economic falsehoods you'll hear during the next seven months of political campaigning is there's a necessary tradeoff between fairness and growth. By this view, if we raise taxes on the wealthy the economy can't grow as fast. "Wrong. Taxes were far higher on top incomes in the three decades after World War 2 than they've been since. And the distribution of income was far more equal. Yet the American economy grew faster in those years than it's grown since tax rates were slashed in 1981. "This wasn't a post-war aberration. Bill Clinton raised taxes on the wealthy in the 1990s, and the economy produced faster job growth and higher wages than it did after George W. Bush slashed taxes on the rich in his first term. "If you need more evidence, consider modern Germany, where taxes on the wealthy are much higher than they are here and the distribution of income is far more equal. But Germany's average annual growth has been faster than that in the United States. "You see, higher taxes on the wealthy can finance more investments in infrastructure and education, which are vital for growth and the economic prospects of the middle class. "Higher taxes on the wealthy also allow for lower taxes on the middle - potentially restoring enough middle class purchasing power to keep the economy going. "As we've seen in recent years, when disposable income is concentrated at the top, the middle class doesn't have enough money to boost the economy. "What we should have learned over the last half century is that growth doesn't trickle down from the top. It percolates upward from working people who are adequately educated, sufficiently rewarded, and who feel they have a fair chance to make it in America. Fairness isn't incompatible with growth. It's necessary for it." 10. Abolish the death penalty nationwide The death penalty needs to be abolished for the following reasons: 1. There is a better alternative: life without parole. In virtually every state, judges & juries have the option of sentencing convicted murderers to life in prison without the possibility of parole. 2. The death penalty puts innocent lives at risk. Since the reinstatement of the death penalty in the United States in 1976, 138 innocent men and women have been released from death row, including some who came within minutes of execution. In Missouri, Texas and Virginia investigations have been opened to determine if those states executed innocent men. To execute an innocent person is morally reprehensible; this is a risk we cannot take. 3. Race and place determine who lives and who dies. Those who kill whites are more likely to be sentenced to die than those who kill African-Americans. In Kentucky and many other states, prosecutors from certain counties are more likely to pursue the death penalty than others are. 4. We pay many millions for the death penalty system. In the year 2000, a fiscal impact summary from the Oregon Department of Administrative Services stated that the Oregon Judicial Department alone would save $2.3 million annually if the death penalty were eliminated. It is estimated that total prosecution and defense costs to Oregon state & county taxpayers equal $9 million per year. 5. Poor quality defense leaves many sentenced to death. One of the most frequent causes of reversals in death penalty cases is ineffective assistance of counsel. A study at Columbia University found that 68% of all death penalty cases were reversed on appeal, with inadequate defense as one of the main reasons requiring reversal. 6. Capital punishment does not deter crime. Scientific studies have consistently failed to demonstrate that executions deter people from committing crime. Around our country, states without the death penalty have a lower murder rate than neighboring states with the death penalty. There is a better way to help the families of murder victims. Families of murder victims undergo severe trauma and loss which no one should minimize. However, executions do not help these people heal nor do they end their pain; the extended process prior to executions prolongs the agony of the family. Families of murder victims would benefit far more if the funds now being used for the costly process of executions were diverted to counseling and other assistance. 7. The death penalty is applied at random. The death penalty is a lethal lottery: of the 15,000 to 17,000 homicides committed every year in the United States, approximately 120 people are sentenced to death, less than 1%. 8. Capital punishment goes against almost every religion. Although isolated passages of the Bible have been quoted in support of the death penalty, almost all religious groups in the United States regard executions as immoral. Because incumbent Governor Matt Bevin (R) supports the death penalty, Geoff Young considers him an immoral, bad Christian. Anyone who wants to make all abortions illegal but who also supports the death penalty is a hypocrite. Such people cannot legitimately call themselves "pro-life." 9. Mentally ill people are executed. One out of every ten who has been executed in the United States since 1977 is mentally ill, according to Amnesty International and the National Association on Mental Illness. Many mentally ill defendants are unable to participate in their trials in any meaningful way and appear unengaged, cold, and unfeeling before the jury. Some have been forcibly medicated in order to make them "competent" to be executed. Although the U.S. Supreme Court has decreed that people with “mental retardation” may not be executed, Kentucky has not yet passed a law banning the execution of the mentally ill. Both Kentucky and North Carolina considered legislation to bar the execution of a defendant who "had a severe mental disorder or disability that significantly impaired his or her capacity to appreciate the nature, consequences, or wrongfulness of his or her conduct, exercise rational judgment in relation to conduct, or conform his or her conduct to the requirements of the law." (Kentucky HB 446, 2009 Regular Session) 10. The USA is keeping company with notorious human rights abusers. The vast majority of countries in Western Europe, North America and South America — more than 117 nations worldwide — have abandoned capital punishment in law or in practice. The United States remains in the same company as Iraq, Iran and China as one of the major advocates and users of capital punishment. We are the “State.” When the “State” kills, we are participants. Would you choose to be the person that pulls the switch that snuffs out a human life? No civilian’s job description should include killing another person. Corrections personnel involved in executions, like our military, frequently suffer PTSD from having to kill. Perhaps there is a reason to have a defensive military, but prisoners pose no threat to the well-being of our citizens. There is no valid reason to place the mental health of our corrections workers at risk simply to pursue vengeance. 11. Andy Barr is pro-abortion, not pro-life Andy Barr (R) is objectively pro-abortion and therefore extremely immoral. He supports laws that would increase the abortion rate. Planned Parenthood reduces the abortion rate and therefore deserves the support of every American. In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court made the Roe v. Wade decision, which included some important and wise findings: 1) "This right of privacy, whether it be founded in the Fourteenth Amendment's concept of personal liberty and restrictions upon state action, as we feel it is, or, as the District Court determined, in the Ninth Amendment's reservation of rights to the people, is broad enough to encompass a woman's decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy. The detriment that the State would impose upon the pregnant woman by denying this choice altogether is apparent. Specific and direct harm medically diagnosable even in early pregnancy may be involved. Maternity, or additional offspring, may force upon the woman a distressful life and future. Psychological harm may be imminent. Mental and physical health may be taxed by child care. There is also the distress, for all concerned, associated with the unwanted child, and there is the problem of bringing a child into a family already unable, psychologically and otherwise, to care for it. In other cases, as in this one, the additional difficulties and continuing stigma of unwed motherhood may be involved. All these are factors the woman and her responsible physician necessarily will consider in consultation." [410 U.S. 113, 153] 2) "On the basis of elements such as these, appellant and some amici argue that the woman's right is absolute and that she is entitled to terminate her pregnancy at whatever time, in whatever way, and for whatever reason she alone chooses. With this we do not agree. Appellant's arguments that Texas either has no valid interest at all in regulating the abortion decision, or no interest strong enough to support any limitation upon the woman's sole determination, are unpersuasive. The Court's decisions recognizing a right of privacy also acknowledge that some state regulation in areas protected by that right is appropriate." [Id. at 153-154] 3) "We, therefore, conclude that the right of personal privacy includes the abortion decision, but that this right is not unqualified and must be considered against important state interests in regulation. We note that those federal and state courts that have recently considered abortion law challenges have reached the same conclusion." [Id. at 154] 4) "Although the results are divided, most of these courts have agreed that the right of privacy, however based, is broad enough to cover the abortion decision; that the right, nonetheless, is not absolute and is subject to some limitations; and that at some point the state interests as to protection of health, medical standards, and prenatal life, become dominant. We agree with this approach." [Id. at 155] 5) "With respect to the State's important and legitimate interest in the health of the mother, the 'compelling' point, in the light of present medical knowledge, is at approximately the end of the first trimester. This is so because of the now-established medical fact, referred to above at 149, that until the end of the first trimester mortality in abortion may be less than mortality in normal childbirth. It follows that, from and after this point, a State may regulate the abortion procedure to the extent that the regulation reasonably relates to the preservation and protection of maternal health... This means, on the other hand, that, for the period of pregnancy prior to this "compelling" point, the attending physician, in consultation with his patient, is free to determine, without regulation by the State, that, in his medical judgment, the patient's pregnancy should be terminated. If that decision is reached, the judgment may be effectuated by an abortion free of interference by the State." [Id. at 163] 6) "With respect to the State's important and legitimate interest in potential life, the 'compelling' point is at viability. This is so because the fetus then presumably has the capability of meaningful life outside the mother's womb. State regulation protective of fetal life after viability thus has both logical and biological justifications. If the State is interested in protecting fetal life after viability, it may go so far as to proscribe abortion during that period, except when it is necessary to preserve the life or health of the mother." [Id. at 163-164] 7) "The decision leaves the State free to place increasing restrictions on abortion as the period of pregnancy lengthens, so long as those restrictions are tailored to the recognized state interests. The decision vindicates the right of the physician to administer medical treatment according to his professional judgment up to the points where important state interests provide compelling justifications for intervention. Up to those points, the abortion decision in all its aspects is inherently, and primarily, a medical decision, and basic responsibility for it must rest with the physician." [Id. at 165-166] I consider the Roe v. Wade decision to be one of the best-reasoned, most moral, and most important Supreme Court decisions of my lifetime. Immediately after it was published, the so-called "Right-To-Life" movement expanded and allied itself with the Republican Party. Some would say it came under the control of the Republican Party in 1980, at which time the abortion issue became a partisan political issue. The Republican-sponsored Human Life Amendment is the name given to multiple proposals to amend the Constitution to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision and make all abortions illegal after conception. If it were to pass, doctors and women could be indicted and prosecuted for murder if an abortion occurs in the United States and the police were to catch the people involved. The so-called "Right-To-Life" movement and the GOP apparently want to create a situation similar to the fictional Handmaid's Tale scenario. However, would making all abortions illegal actually reduce the abortion rate in the US? Peer-reviewed social science studies have consistently shown that the abortion rate would NOT decline and would probably increase in the long run. The following chart from a 2012 study shows that regions of the world where laws are highly restrictive actually have higher abortion rates than regions such as North America and Western Europe where abortion laws are more liberal: This information has profound effects on the abortion debate in Kentucky. It means that the "Right-To-Life" movement has always been totally wrong, counterproductive and immoral. By demanding that the US and the Commonwealth of Kentucky make our abortion laws more restrictive, they are proposing policies that would raise, not lower, the abortion rate. Even if their motives are good - to reduce the number of abortions (or as they would say, murders) that occur - they have latched onto exactly the wrong legal strategy to achieve that goal. The Catholic Church, the Republican Party, and the Southern Baptist Convention have embraced a counterproductive, evil and immoral doctrine that would raise, not lower, the abortion rate. Politicians such as Andy Barr who call themselves pro-life and anti-abortion are hypocrites and liars. Planned Parenthood is implementing a moral, effective, and objectively pro-life strategy that would reduce the number of abortions (or murders) that would occur in Kentucky and the United States. Planned Parenthood also provides critically important health services to millions of women every year. This annual report describes Planned Parenthood's remarkable achievements. I pledge to support Planned Parenthood and will work to reverse every misguided federal law the "Right-To-Life" movement has ever gotten enacted. Why? Because all of these unnecessary laws tend to increase, not decrease, the abortion rate. Andy Barr and all other Christians who work hard & spend a lot of time trying to make all abortions illegal are immoral, bad Christians.[10] |
” |
| —Geoff Young's campaign website (2022)[11] | ||
2020
Geoff M. Young did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
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Ballotpedia biographical submission form
The candidate completed Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form:
| “ | What is your political philosophy?
I will work to institute a Cooperative Commonwealth, strengthen unions, strengthen Planned Parenthood, end the death penalty, end corruption in the Democratic Party, legalize all forms of cannabis, reduce the possibility of war, tax the super-rich, enhance energy efficiency and solar energy, and prevent our National Guard from ever being sent to fight in foreign wars. Is there anything you would like to add? I am the most progressive candidate running for Kentucky Governor this year. I'm a Bernie Sanders Democrat.[10] |
” |
| —Geoff Young[1] | ||
Campaign website
| “ | The Issues
1. Unions build the middle class. 2. Stop corruption in Kentucky regardless of partisan politics. 3. Legalize all forms of cannabis. 4. Overturn all immoral laws that undermine the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision of 1973. 5. Overturn Governor Bevin's immoral executive order that discriminates against Palestinians. 6. Stop kicking Kentuckians off health insurance and work toward a single-payer, Medicare-for-All system. 7. Tax millionaires & billionaires and reduce taxes on the poor and middle class. 8. Promote energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies to lower your electric bills. 9. Promote worker-owned businesses and cooperatives. 10. Work with other governors to prevent our National Guard from being sent out of the USA. 11. Abolish the death penalty in Kentucky. [10] |
” |
| —Geoff Young[12] | ||
2016
The following issues were listed on Young's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.
| “ |
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” |
| —Geoff Young's campaign website, http://www.young4ky.com/ | ||
2015
Young noted in announcing his campaign that, "We both have highly developed BS detectors, and we will fearlessly use them against any politician who tries to deceive the people of Kentucky."[13] He filed candidacy papers with the Kentucky Secretary of State on December 1, 2014.[14]
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Campaign contributions
2014
Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Young's reports.[15]
| Geoff Young (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| April Quarterly[16] | April 15, 2014 | $0 | $50,600 | $(1,300) | $49,464 | ||||
| Pre-Primary[17] | May 13, 2014 | $49,464 | $203 | $(20,532) | $29,135 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $50,803 | $(21,832) | ||||||||
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Facebook, "Geoffrey M Young," accessed February 19, 2022
- ↑ Information submitted on Ballotpedia’s biographical information submission form on May 7, 2019
- ↑ Linkedin, "Geoffrey Young," accessed February 19, 2022
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on January 19, 2024
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings with the Office of the Secretary of State," accessed January 27, 2016
- ↑ The New York Times, "Kentucky Results," May 17, 2016
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Governor and Lieutenant Governor," accessed November 4, 2014
- ↑ Associated Press, "Primary election results," accessed May 20, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, 2012 general election candidate list, accessed November 2, 2012
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Young4ky, “Geoff Young,” accessed February 23, 2022
- ↑ Young4KY, "Home page," accessed May 20, 2019
- ↑ The Courier-Journal, "New gubernatorial candidate touts 'BS detector'," November 17, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Information for Geoffrey M. "Geoff" Young, Candidate for Governor," December 1, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Geoff Young 2014 Summary reports," accessed May 15, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "April Quarterly," accessed May 15, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Pre-Primary," accessed May 15, 2014
