Erin Petrey

Erin Petrey earned a high school diploma from Henry Clay High School, a bachelor's degree from The George Washington University in 2005, and a graduate degree from the University of Kentucky in 2009. Her career experience includes working as a program director.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Erin Russell Petrey is the only progressive Democrat running for the 6th Congressional district to replace Andy Barr. She is running to make the American Dream the American Reality again by championing Affordability, Access, and Opportunity for All.

Erin was born in Lexington and raised on a farm in Lawrenceburg, with Kentucky roots reaching from Maysville to Hazard back to the 1700s.

After graduate school, she taught in a public elementary school in South Korea. She then devoted her career to service and impact by strengthening communities through renewable energy and healthcare projects, building critical infrastructure across the U.S. South, and helping grow businesses that created real jobs across the country. Most recently, she focused on making energy-intensive systems like data centers more sustainable, ensuring growth doesn’t come at the expense of people or the planet.

Erin is a lifelong volunteer, working with organizations including Habitat for Humanity, Teen Court, and the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. She is a proud champion of Kentucky, a board member of Bourbon Women, a Kentucky Colonel, an Executive Bourbon Steward, and an active, award-winning member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Erin lives in Lexington with her senior rescue dog, Lila. She enjoys travelling with her mom, practicing her Spanish, and telling anyone who will listen just how special Kentucky really is.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

GOVERNMENT FOR THE PEOPLE: Affordability, dignity, and democracy. No family should have to choose between paying bills, seeing a doctor, or putting food on the table. Medicaid, SNAP, and other essential programs are lifelines for those in need, and as your representative in Congress, I will fight to keep them strong and out of political danger.

I'm running for Congress to put people over special interests, restore the value of the individual vote, end corporate money in politics, abolish ICE, pass term limits, ban congressional stock trading, and rebuild with systems rooted in dignity and due process. In office, I will vote to stop endless military spending, wars of choice, and invest in a better life for all Americans at home.HEALTHCARE: Build an affordable and accessible healthcare system. Healthcare is a human right, not a profit engine. Basic preventative and primary care should be free and accessible to all. Insurance companies should not have more say in a patient’s treatment than their doctor; that’s just absurd. I strongly support Medicare for All because as the wealthiest country in the world, we have no excuses not to.

I will also propose legislation to prohibit medical bankruptcies - which impact over 500K people per year. A health scare and the wrong type of insurance within this broken system should not prevent people from being able to find housing, get jobs, or pay their bills.JOBS: Experience that delivers jobs, not empty promises. We need leaders who know how to create jobs, expand opportunity, build modern infrastructure, and attract investment. This will keep young people in Kentucky and build an economy that works for everyone. In Congress, I will champion policies that bring employers to Kentucky, invest in training our workforce, and push back against reckless tariffs that raise costs, shrink markets, and hurt industries from farming to pharma.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Growing up on a farm, I had a deep appreciation for the beauty and fragility of nature. Our natural environment is our greatest asset. Climate change is not a hoax but a very real existential and economic threat to our world. A core part of that issue is energy and our means to create it.

Affordable energy is essential for families to live and businesses to grow. True energy security and independence are how we keep costs stable and reliable over the long term. Clean and renewable energy shouldn’t be a partisan talking point: it’s just common sense. It protects public health, strengthens our economy, attracts new jobs, and delivers savings to communities. Our need for energy will only grow; our ability to create it must grow, too.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Authenticity, honesty, humility, tenacity.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Build a system that ensures a better life for all Americans, especially those in my district and home state. Congress must also hold our government accountable and ensure our democracy is protected.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I've worked since I was very young. The first paid job I held was as a babysitter. I was determined to be excellent at the job, and insisted my parents take me to the Red Cross babysitter certification training in Lexington. We learned CPR, First Aid, and other important skills. Our family friends loved when I took care of their kids because when they came home, their kitchens would be spotless, their fridges cleaned and organized, and the entire home in tip-top shape. I have always gone above and beyond in any role I've ever served - paid or otherwise - and I would bring that focus and dedication to the U.S. Congress.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I have an invisible disability: I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2013. It was a struggle to actually get a diagnosis in a complicated, profit-driven system. In 2022, it nearly took my life after it led to sepsis and other complications. I was in and out of the hospital, unsure of if I would survive, yet I continued to work full time and push forward, battling constantly with providers and insurance companies. I left that time in my life with 60% of my colon, a bevy of scars, tens of thousands in medical bills, and a deeper understanding of how truly broken our healthcare system is and why we can no longer wait for us to overhaul the system. Healthcare is a human right, and we should never be putting profits over patients.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

The United States has a long road to regain global trust and restore the "brand" of America and restore the value of our cultural currency. As a lifelong diplomat - and someone with 2 degrees in the subject - soft power and cultural engagement is paramount for us to grow as a country, an economy, and a society. Guns and bombs are easy to build; hearts and minds are hard won.

Our international and military agenda over the past 18 months has been a disaster. Iran, Ukraine, Venezuela, Gaza, Greenland, Cuba: these are conflicts the U.S. should be working to end, not seeking to create new wars. People are dying, the rich are the only ones benefitting, and the American taxpayer is footing the bill.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Absolutely but with a caveat. I've spent the better part of my career negotiating contracts for large-scale infrastructure: economic, fiscal, and similar policy requires compromise. But when the rights of others are at stake, compromise is never acceptable. Everyone deserves equal rights in America. No exceptions.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Alliance 4 American Leadership, Turn Left PAC, Take BAC Congress, Unrig Washington, Citizens' Impeachment, Mr. Beat Uncapping the House

What was the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember?

I vividly remember watching the night vision videos of the Gulf War. It breaks my heart that we are still mired in more and more conflicts in the Middle East to no benefit of the people of the United States, and to the detriment of America's reputation around the globe. My late stepdad, a Navy Seabee Master Chief, served multiple tours in the Middle East, and would be horrified to see what is happening today. It must end now. No new wars: our tax dollars should go to helping our people, not building bombs.