Another Democrat enters the mix in crowded race to represent Central Kentucky in Congress

Another Democrat is hoping to flip Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District next year. 

Erin Petrey, who grew up in Kentucky and worked in Washington, D.C., announced her bid for the Central Kentucky U.S. House district Wednesday morning. The current seatholder, Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, is seeking election to the U.S. Senate in 2026. 

Petrey was born in Lexington and grew up on a Lawrenceburg farm, according to the bio from her campaign. She graduated from Fayette County Public Schools, earned a bachelor’s degree from The George Washington University and a master’s degree from the Patterson School of Diplomacy at the University of Kentucky.

She taught English in South Korea, according to her  bio, and then worked in Washington, D.C., focusing on “advancing U.S. public diplomacy, building large-scale renewable energy and healthcare infrastructure projects, and building businesses focused on emerging technologies.” She worked on projects to enhance data center sustainability at Amazon Web Services, the release from her campaign says.

In her launch video, Petrey makes an old fashioned cocktail and likens it to a mix of Kentucky issues. 

“Call me old fashioned but governments — they were built to serve the people, and I want to bring that back so let me serve you in Congress,” she said in the video. 

Petrey joins a crowded Democratic primary. Former Kentucky House Democratic caucus chair Cherlynn Stevenson, former Lexington council member David Kloiber and former federal prosecutor Zach Dembo have all launched campaigns. 

Republicans are also lining up to replace Barr. State Reps. Ryan Dotson and Deanna Gordon as well as Dr. Ralph Alvarado, a former state senator, have announced their bids.