Pete Lynch

Pete Lynch earned a bachelor's degree from Tufts University in 2008 and a Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky in 2022. His career experience includes working as a college instructor.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Pete Lynch is a faculty member of the Department of Political Science at the University of Kentucky. As someone who's studied and taught political science for nearly a decade, he understands that the fundamental problem in American politics is campaign funding.

The research shows that politicians represent their donors (Barber 2016). Because less than 2% of people in Congress get most of their funding from small donors, the overwhelming majority of politicians represent the rich. Dr. Lynch is committed to getting most of his donations from small donors so that he can represent average Americans. He's the only candidate in the KY-6 race who is willing to make that promise. Alvarado and Dembo can't, as they each get 11% of less of their funding from small donors.

Beyond campaign finance reform, Lynch also supports a moratorium on AI data centers, prohibiting Flock cameras and other ALRPs from sharing information with law enforcement, moving towards Medicare for All, building affordable housing, cutting ties with (and funding for) Israel, and major criminal justice reform to end mass incarceration.

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?

Lynch supports campaign finance reform so that winning an election doesn't require candidates to sell out to the wealthyLynch supports a moratorium on AI data centers and regulating Flock cameras so that they must provide a warrant before sharing information with federal law enforcement. He also wants to cut federal highway funding for states and local governments that allow their law enforcement agencies to access Flock data without a warrant.Fundamentally, Lynch is an economic populist. He wants a government where average people have just as much influence as the rich. Beyond campaign finance reform, he also supports major lobbying reform, banning politicians from buying stocks while in office, prohibiting members of Congress from becoming federal lobbyists, taxing billionaires, and breaking up monopolies.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

My number 1 issues is campaign finance reform. But I also prioritize fighting back against AI data centers and Flock cameras, creating an affordable healthcare system, building affordable housing, ending our endless wars on behalf of Israel, creating new digital rights for citizens in the modern era, and massively reducing our prison population.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

The two people I look up to most, when it comes to politics, are Thomas Paine and Bernie Sanders.

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

The most important thing, in my view, is representing average citizens instead of wealthy donors.

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

I believe that the core responsibilities are:

- Voting in favor of bills that benefit most citizens, and voting against bills that benefit elites

- Educating the public about major political issues

- Organizing the public against politicians who are funded primarily by elites

What legacy would you like to leave?

The most important thing I want to do is help enact major campaign finance reform to shift power from elites to average citizens.

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

After college, I worked for a video game developer for about a year.

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

Time management has been an issue for me. I sometimes spend too much time making sure something is close to perfect rather than accepting that it is "good enough" and moving along to the next task.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The discharge petition allows average legislators to bypass committees and force representatives to take a stand, whereas committees can simply kill bills in the Senate. When elected, I intend to use the discharge petition process more than any other member of Congress in modern history.

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

The greatest challenger for the US over the next decade will be confronting the power of billionaires to control our political system and our economy. This is particularly pressing as AI develops and concentrates more power in fewer hands.

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

Yes, compromising is necessary and desirable. But timing is important. Far too frequently, people lead with the compromise position. You should support what you really want and make concessions from there, rather than compromising from the outset.

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

I remember my father saying something about President Bush when I was 4 years old and we were at a doctor's appointment. I remember thinking it was silly that our leader was named after a type of plant.