Dr. Pete Lynch for Kentucky

Top Policy Priorities

 

Campaign finance reform

Elected officials should represent the people, not billionaires or corporations. Right now, politicians respond to wealthy donors, not everyday Americans. To restore accountability and fairness, we must:

  • Tax every dollar spent on elections above $2,500 per individual or corporation per calendar year at 100%, with revenue funding schools, healthcare, and infrastructure

  • Require candidates to get at least 50% of their funding from small individual contributions; if they fail in two consecutive elections, they cannot run for that seat in the next election

  • Make all campaign contributions and political spending fully transparent

  • Match small-donor contributions to amplify everyday voters’ voices

  • Ban unlimited donations to super PACs and other mechanisms that let the ultra-wealthy dominate elections

 

Medicare for All

Healthcare is a human right, not a privilege. Americans pay more than any other country but get far less access. To fix our broken system, we must:

  • Provide universal healthcare coverage for all Americans

  • Eliminate out-of-pocket costs for essential services and prescriptions

  • Simplify administration to reduce waste and overhead

  • Ensure care is accessible in rural and underserved areas

 

Affordable Housing

Homes should be for families, not profit. Rising costs have put homeownership and renting out of reach for many. To make housing more affordable, we must:

  • Ban foreign and hedge fund ownership of single-family homes

  • Cap rent increases for corporate-owned rental properties

  • Limit residential ownership: 25 units per individual, 500 per corporation

  • Provide federal matching funds to support the development of affordable homes

 

Support workers, not billionaires

The economy should work for everyone. Billionaires and large corporations have rigged the system for themselves. To restore fairness, we must:

  • Break up corporate monopolies

  • Strengthen workers' bargaining power by repealing Taft-Hartley outright or by passing the PRO Act to amend it.

  • Protect gig economy workers and independent contractors

  • Cap CEO pay at 10x the average worker

  • Implement minimum wages that reflect local living wages, with annual adjustments based on local cost of living changes

  • Allocate 50% of all corporate profits to funding an United States Profit Dividend, which will be distributed equally among all adult Americans.

 

Foreign policy

America’s foreign policy should serve the people, not corporate interests. We must prioritize humanitarian aid, veterans, and domestic investment:

  • End all military aid for offensive purposes

  • Stop funding countries engaged in war crimes or genocide

  • Direct foreign aid to food, medicine, and rebuilding communities—not weapons

  • Cover healthcare for all veterans, including prescriptions

  • Redirect savings to American jobs, schools, and infrastructure

 

Recreational marijuana legalization

Prohibition has failed, and Kentucky can lead responsibly. Legal marijuana can benefit farmers, communities, and consumers:

  • Provide new income for rural farmers transitioning from tobacco

  • Generate tax revenue for pensions, schools, and rural infrastructure

  • Reduce or eliminate the black market, making products safer

  • Lower prices while keeping the market fairly regulated and taxed

  • Protect users from criminal convictions and employment barriers

 

Digital Infrasturcture for all Kentuckians

Fast, reliable internet is essential for education, jobs, and community connection. Too many families still lack access, while corporate data centers profit without accountability. We must:

  • Guarantee every Kentuckian access to fast, reliable, and affordable internet

  • Hold data centers accountable: pay for grid upgrades, use on-site energy during peak hours, and build renewable power equal to usage

  • Protect users’ personal data: consent required and users compensated if monetized

  • Expand digital literacy and workforce training programs

 

Education and job training for every Kentuckian

Everyone deserves a fair shot at success. From school breakfasts to college or vocational training, we must invest in people:

  • Provide free breakfast for every student in every school

  • Offer 4 years of free public college or 4 years of subsidized vocational training for every young Kentuckian

  • Expand internships, apprenticeships, and job readiness programs

  • Support teachers with competitive pay and resources

  • Incentivize businesses to hire local graduates and apprentices in trades, tech, and healthcare

 

Tax the rich, not the poor and middle class

Fair taxes build a stronger economy and society. The ultra-wealthy shouldn’t pay lower rates than hardworking Americans. To make the system fair, we must:

  • Count capital gains as income and tax accordingly

  • Exempt the first $25,000 of income from federal taxes

  • Tax billionaires 10% of net worth above $1 billion

  • Lower taxes for households under $250,000 and raise rates for those earning over $1 million

 

Clean energy and public power for Kentucky families

Energy should benefit communities, not just corporations. By expanding public power, investing in renewables, and holding large energy users accountable, we can lower bills, create jobs, and strengthen local control.  To achieve these goals, we must:

  • Expand public power utilities to lower costs and increase local control

  • Invest in solar, wind, and renewable energy projects in rural and underserved areas

  • Require industrial energy users, including data centers, to produce renewable energy equal to or greater than their usage

  • Provide rebates and incentives for households and small businesses to adopt solar and energy-efficient appliances

  • Modernize the electricity grid for reliability and lower costs

 

Paid for by Pete Lynch For Kentucky.