Lexington, Kentucky Mayor Jim Gray filed to run for Rand Paul’s senate seat on Tuesday.
According to the AP:
Gray, the wealthy former CEO of a construction company, made history in 2010 when he was elected Kentucky’s first openly gay mayor. Since then, he has wrangled the city’s pension funds and signed an ordinance raising the local minimum wage to $10.10 an hour.
But his candidacy comes at a time when Republicans have solidified their political power in Kentucky, holding all but one of the state’s congressional seats and four of the six statewide constitutional offices, including governor.
Gray, 62, told the Herald-Leader on Monday that he believes he can win.
“I feel like that there’s an environment in Washington that’s toxic, and people across the country, and including Kentucky, are looking for alternatives,” Gray said.