Thursday night, incumbent Republican State Senator Donald Douglas went face-to-face with challenger Andrew Cooperrider, a Lexington coffee shop owner who rose to prominence over his defiance of state COVID protocols and tried to get Gov. Andy Beshear impeached.
The debate, held by the Republican Party of Jessamine County, put a spotlight on the candidates’ differing approaches to governing.
"I think that Dr. Douglas... cares more about what Frankfort thinks about him than what his district thinks about him. I think that's a big issue. I think you should be accountable to your voters, not your colleague in Frankfort."Andrew Cooperrider, Senate candidate and business owner (on WLEX)
"I want to bring everybody together, not just at socioeconomic levels, but also the racial divide, and I want to bridge that Republican and Democrat divide, Douglas told WLEX.
While both can tout their GOP bonafides — describing themselves as Christian, pro-life, and pro-gun — Cooperrider’s more defiant style puts him in what's become known as the “Liberty” movement in politics.
Whereas both oppose COVID vaccine mandates, for example, it’s Cooperrider who believes state Republicans should have gone further, passing a bill that would have put restrictions on certain employers when it comes to asking about employees’ vaccination status.
The winner of the fast-approaching May primary could indicate whether Kentucky Republicans want to break even further from establishment-style politics. The victor will face Chuck Eddy, who is running unopposed on the Democratic side in the 22 District.
