CINCINNATI — Melissa Strange has won the Democratic primary for Kentucky's 4th Congressional District, the Associated Press projects.
Strange defeated challenger Jesse Brewer in the race for the district seat, which covers several counties in the Tri-State, including Kenton, Boone, Grant, Gallatin, Owen, Carroll, Campbell, Pendleton, Bracken, Robertson and Mason counties, among others in Northern Kentucky.
Born and raised in Villa Hills, Strange is a lifelong Kentuckian who currently resides in Erlanger, according to her campaign website. Strange has worked for nearly 30 years as a supply chain director for a global nutrition and agribusiness company. There, she said she learned what it takes to be successful, including uniting different kinds of people toward a common goal.
Strange ran her campaign on five core platforms: jobs and the economy, healthcare, education, reproductive health and rights and equality and respect for everyone.
"It's time to rebuild an economy that actually works for everyone — not just a select few," Strange wrote on her campaign website.
In terms of healthcare and reproductive health, Strange has campaigned for access to affordable medical care in Kentucky, and she also believes reproductive rights should be protected at the federal level. Alongside that, she said she's committed to expanding maternal and newborn healthcare and access to IVF, birth control and other services.
She's also a large proponent of the Pre-K for All initiative for children, according to her campaign website.
Strange will now take on the Republican primary winner in November's general election in an effort to flip the seat. The Northern Kentucky district has not seen a Democrat win the U.S. Congress seat since Ken Lucas was in office from 1999 to 2005.
