To be an effective county judge-executive, you need good relationships and well-placed connections in our region, in Frankfort and in Washington, D.C.

I’ve spent the last decade developing strong friendships and partnerships at all levels. First as a chamber of commerce executive, then as CEO of our local economic development organization, and now your judge-executive, I’ve worked in tandem with elected officials from both sides of the aisle, business leaders in every line of work you can imagine and non-profit advocates representing an array of worthy causes.

The creation of Interstate 69 in the commonwealth is a great example. In helping that project become a reality, I worked closely with three different Kentucky governors – two Democrats (Steve Beshear and Andy Beshear) and one Republican (Matt Bevin) – to help them understand I-69’s importance to the future of West Kentucky. Add to that list Republican and Democratic members of Congress I visited countless times stumping for their assistance.

The same is true for the hundreds of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars of investment I’ve helped bring to Henderson County. Those successful efforts took bipartisan cooperation from local and state government, seamless cooperation with economic development agencies and an effective network of industry experts and consultants.

But make no mistake. My opponent has certainly earned his reputation as a hyper-partisan in a long career on the government payroll. The members of the Republican-led General Assembly are very familiar with my opponent’s unwillingness to work cooperatively and transparently. If he’s elected to lead Henderson County, he’ll make decisions based on what’s good for his party and not what’s right for our families and businesses.

I’m not a career politician. Thoughtless partisanship for the sole purpose of gaining power doesn’t interest me in the least. What inspires me is working together with friends, colleagues and anyone else who’ll help us reach our goals for this community and assure local families that this county remains the best place to live, work and raise a family.

Let’s keep the momentum going!

-Brad