Beech Tree News Network

Background:  David Graham, age - 50

155 Crockett St.

Bowling Green, KY  42101

Wife - Becky O’Rourke Graham

Children - Megan (17), Ben (15), JP (11), and Will (9)

Current occupation - band director, Warren Central High School

Question 1:  Broadly speaking, what are the primary reasons you are seeking the office for which you are running?

I’m running for State Representative to work for common-sense solutions for our state.  We can make the tough choices needed to have great schools, give our law enforcement officers the tools they need, and put our state on a sound financial footing.  I grew up in this state, and am so grateful for the opportunities I’ve been blessed with.  But I want more for our kids.  They deserve a state filled with opportunity, a state that tackles our problems head-on, and a state that looks forward to a bright future.  I’m running for State Representative to help bring that vision of a better Kentucky to reality.

Question 2:  What specific qualifications do you possess that would allow you to be effective in the position you are seeking?

As a band director, I am constantly assessing problems and working toward solutions with students, administrators, and parents.  I’ve also volunteered extensively with our church, community, and local party.  I think people are ready for more citizen legislators in Frankfort - people who understand what it’s like in a classroom, how to balance a family budget, and how to bring people together to find real solutions to problems.  

Question 3:  Identify the key issues impacting the position for which you are running and describe how you would propose to address them as a public officeholder?

Financial stability is one of the biggest issues facing our state.  We have lurched from one budget crisis to the next for far too long, and our public schools, State Police, and other services have suffered accordingly.  We need to find a fair solution to the pension crisis, look for every opportunity to eliminate waste and duplication, and put ourselves in position to stabilize funding for our essential services.

The opioid crisis is another major issue we must address.  Families are being destroyed and are jails and prisons are overflowing as more and more lives are swallowed up by addiction.  We need to continue to work on prevention, focus on rehabilitation, and use all available resources to keep these drugs - and the criminals who traffic in them - out of our community.

Question 4:  As a potential or current elected official, what do you see as the proper role and function of local government? 

I see public safety as the primary function of local government, along with providing needed services and listening to the needs and desires of our citizens.  One of my main jobs as State Representative will be to listen to local officials and work together on issues like infrastructure and broadband access, and I look forward to building those relationships as the campaign gets underway.  

Question 5:  What is your long-term vision for Butler County?  For example, what kind of community would you like ours to be in ten years?

In the next few years, I hope we enjoy growth brought on by new jobs while retaining the charm and sense of community that makes Butler County such a special place to raise a family.  

Butler County is a lot like Taylor County, the rural community where I grew up on a dairy farm.  Over the last twenty years of spending time here, I’ve always been impressed by the closeness of this place, and how the whole county rallies together to support one another.  I can’t imagine that changing in ten years, or fifty, or hopefully ever.