By Ameer Abedy and Sydney McCarter

Last January, the Berea Torch had the pleasure of interviewing Anthony Looney regarding the inauguration of President Donald Trump. In the wake of this political shift, unprecedented energy has plagued our daily news headlines and social media. In the midst of this chaos, Looney decided to run for Kentucky’s 81st district. During his interview, Looney emphasized that not only was great loss felt at the federal level, but Democrats also lost many state and local elections as well. For Looney, this loss was a wakeup call to the reality of modern politics. In a state where both Republican and MAGA sentiment are high, Looney does not want his candidacy to just be about gaining another blue seat in a sea of red, but rather to give hope and assurance to the people of Kentucky that there are individuals willing to stand up to the Republican stronghold and fight for the kitchen table issues that impact people the most. This is especially true in the 81st district as no one has challenged the Republican incumbent since 2020.

While Looney himself is passionate about many political issues ranging from state to federal politics, he wants his campaign for the 81st district to be about serving the needs of as many people as possible. This platform includes an emphasis on healthcare, cost of living, and serving the needs of public education. As a nurse himself, Looney understands the shortcomings of Kentucky’s healthcare system and would make this a center priority if elected. From his experience in the healthcare system, Looney has witnessed the disenfranchisement of lower income individuals in trying to receive adequate medical care, especially in the face of potential Medicare and Medicaid cuts in the state of Kentucky and the country. Looney would also like to see greater attention paid to the current housing crisis, especially when the average American cannot afford housing while working 40 hours a week. Looney’s campaign would center public education, and fight against the privatization of schooling as this approach gives greater access to those with wealth, while taking resources and funding away from lower income communities.

In our interview, Looney discussed the importance of local elections as a force against the expansion of federal authority, specifically regarding the current deficit in adequate checks and balances against this power. While Looney does consider himself a Democrat, he believes in a bipartisan approach to bring people together to face the long-standing issues plaguing Kentucky, and that both parties contain good people. In the face of so much hatred being spewed across party lines, Looney still believes that it is important to address the criticisms of each individual’s political parties, regardless of who controls each level of government.

I am not a democrat because of someone else, I am a democrat because of what I believe in.

Anthony Looney