Candidates address issues during forum
What can government do to foster economic development in Daviess County? How can leaders help keep the community safe?
And what can be done to improve Kentucky’s education system?
These were some of the questions candidates for the Kentucky House of Representatives’ 13th District and Daviess County Commission’s central district grappled with Tuesday evening during a candidate forum conducted by the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce at City Hall.
Each candidate was given an opening and closing statement, with Messenger-Inquirer Executive Editor Matt Francis also asking the candidates a series of questions about where they stand on issues.
STATE HOUSE RACEThe partisan 13th District race is between two military veterans: Incumbent Republican D.J. Johnson and his challenger, Democrat Michael Johnson.
D.J. Johnson, a former U.S. Army captain, said the most important issue to him is defending the Constitution — a priority he also said he believes his challenger holds.
“Beyond that, what’s become very apparent is we need to work very hard on safety and security of our community,” D.J. Johnson said.
Michael Johnson, who spent more than 20 years in the U.S. Navy and is currently the vice chair of the Owensboro Public Schools Board, said his most important issue is education. The challenger said he supports state funding of public schools.
“What I’ve seen within the school system, it needs to be completely funded — and we need to really take a look at that at the state level and do what needs to be done,” he said. “(Education) is a profession that creates other professions. If you don’t have that, you don’t have economic stability.”
Despite their differing parties, the Johnsons agreed on some issues, including the need for a new Judicial Center and increased home rule for Daviess County. Michael Johnson said he’d strive to work across the aisle to bring more state funding here for projects.
They differed on other issues, including allocating public funds to private schools — which other jurisdictions have done via a school voucher system — and expanding legalized gambling in Kentucky.
On the latter issue, D.J. Johnson said he wasn’t categorically against expanding legalized gambling, but he said he’d have to be convinced.
“Though I’m not a fan of expanding gambling in general, I can understand why a guy may want to get on his iPhone and make a sports bet,” he said.
The challenger, Michael Johnson, unambiguously supported legalized gambling, saying that it will help diversify Kentucky’s economy and fund public programs.
“We have to think about where we’re going to get the revenue. Diversity has to be the key,” the challenger said. “I am for expanded gambling because it brings the extra revenue that Kentucky needs to fund retirements, help with cost of living.”
As for education, D.J. Johnson said he supported allowing state funds be used to send kids to private schools.
“I believe the child’s family needs to be involved in deciding what’s best for them,” he said. “I went to public school and liked it, but there are some people who will need alternative options.”
Michael Johnson opposed any sort of program that would send public finds to private schools.
“I do not agree with public funding going to private schools, because it takes away from public schools, and we cannot take any more from public schools,” he said, adding that private schools and charter schools often “have their own agenda.”
COUNTY COMMISSIONThe debate between Daviess County Commission central district candidates Larry Conder and Tyler Sagardoy was more personal than the one between the candidates for the 13th district.
Conder, a former city commissioner, said Daviess County Fiscal Court will be in need of his experience, considering there will be a new county attorney, treasurer, sheriff and judge-executive.
“Experience matters,” Conder said. “I see that experience is necessary and needed to make sure we stay a safe community no matter what.”
If elected, Conder said he’d prioritize “needs over wants” — with the needs being public safety and basic county infrastructure.
Sagardoy, however, argued there’s a turnover in many of the major Daviess County public offices because the voters want change.
“I think Daviess County has said no to the status quo, and I think there’s no clearer example in this race than Mr. Conder and myself,” he said. “I am a citizen of Daviess County. I am not a businessman. I don’t have interests I have to kowtow to.”
Francis asked the candidates about rising juvenile crime, which elicited differing responses.
Sagardoy asserted that the problem of increasing juvenile crime is due in large part to accessibility of firearms.
“Guns are being stolen from people’s cars and houses,” he said, promising that he’d prioritize gun-safety training if he were in office. “If your’e going to have a gun, I’m not going to impede you, but I want you to be very knowledgeable and trained.”
Condor, however, said the issue starts when juveniles are in their early teenage years or younger. Instead of waiting until juveniles are nearing adulthood, more resources need to be devoted to reforming youngsters, he said.
“We don’t want to wait until they get 18, 19, or 20 (years old) — we want to get them in middle school,” he said.
The debate became especially heated when Francis asked the candidates their opinion on Daviess County passing a nondiscrimination ordinance.
In his response, Sagardoy said he supports Daviess County enacting a Fairness Ordinance that bans LGBTQ discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations — also accusing Conder of flip-flopping on the issue over the years.
“Of course I support it. It’s good policy. This is 2022. This issue is settled, move on. There are people who feel it’s icky or against their religious beliefs. No one is attacking your religious beliefs,” he said. “One thing that I do want to point out is that my opponent has changed his position on this very issue a couple times. And even Rosemary Conder, his wife, has endorsed the idea that this is one of the things that’s keeping business from happening here in town.”
Sagardoy did not provide specific examples of where Conder has changed his position on the issue, and Conder denied the charge.
“It’s amazing that people can come up with their own opinion but lack their own facts. I have always said this, and I’ll say it again: A Fairness Ordinance being nondiscrimination against anyone’s sexual orientation has already been addressed by the U.S. Supreme Court a little over a year ago,” he said, presumably referring to a June 2020 ruling where SCOTUS said that it’s a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to fire someone based on their gender or sexual orientation.
“It is the law of the land today.”
In their closing statements, Conder and Sagardoy reiterated their opening remarks — that the race for Daviess County Commission’s central district comes down to whether voters prefer experience or are looking to change the status quo.
Election Day is November 8.
By Ken Silva Messenger-Inquirer