(CROSS POSTED FROM THE PROGRESSIVE ELECTORATE)
Jim Holbert is an Emergency Medical Service helicopter pilot based out of London, KY. He graduated from the University of Tennessee as a certified high school science teacher. After graduation he joined the military and served over 20 years as an officer in the Army and Coast Guard. He won the May 18 three-way Democratic Primary on a Progressive platform of ending the wars, bringing back jobs, and securing our energy future.
Jim is running against 30-year incumbent Republican, Hal Rogers. Rogers, locally dubbed the "King of Pork" by some, is known for his ability to steer federal dollars to the district (some of which has been known to benefit his campaign contributors).
About the District:
The 5th District is located in the heart of Appalachian Coal country, in Eastern Kentucky. The district is made up of 29 counties, ranging from Pulaski County (where I live) in Southern Kentucky, all the way to Pike County on the Virginia border, then northward to Rowan County in North-Central Kentucky.
The district is an extremely impovershed region, and is the second poorest Congressional district in the nation. Many of the counties have poverty rates nearing or exceeding 40%.
The politics:
The district is Democratic by majority and votes that way in local races. The 5th District was merged with the old 7th District, which was represented by a Democrat for years. Many Democrats have tried to challenge Rogers but none were serious candidates.
Kentucky Democrats don't vote the way regular Democrats vote. If they have never heard of you, they will not vote for you. They would rather vote for someone they hate and know than someone they don't know at all. This is a challenge that we are overcoming with the Holbert campaign, slowly but surely.
What we need:
If we are to overcome this obstacle of reaching out to voters, we need finances to do it. We're looking to raise $5,000 by the end of this month. I know that doesn't sound like much, but the Southeastern Kentucky media market is incredibly cheap. So our money goes a long way.
I hope the folks here at Daily Kos will help us raise this money. Southeast Kentucky simply cannot afford two more years of Hal Rogers in Congress, as he has been a reliable rubber stamp for the failed policies of the last 30 years.
You can donate via ActBlue at this link. Thank you in advance for your generosity and support.