Candidate Spotlight: Josie Raymond - Democratic Candidate for State Representative District 31

Candidate Spotlight 

Josie Raymond  

Democratic Candidate for State Representative District 31

About Josie:

District 31 includes Hikes Point and Jeffersontown in Louisville. Josie is running to succeed Rep. Steve Riggs, who has held the seat since he was elected in 1990. She has dedicated her career to creating opportunities, particularly pathways to education, for people in poverty. In her current role in Student Success at the University of Louisville, Josie is responsible for making sure thousands of students have the best shot at graduating. 

Q: Why are you running?

I grew up here in District 31 in a family that sometimes struggled, but we got a ton of support - from family, community, and the government. I'm running now because I've dedicated my career to poor people and anti-poverty work and I see the supports that took me from free lunch to the Ivy League under attack and the people who rely on them demeaned, and I don't see enough legislators standing up to fight it.

Q: What is the most important topic/issue to you personally?

Here's what amounts to basic human decency and makes economic sense: invest in people. As an educator, and with a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old, I know the value of quality early childhood options. Doing anti-poverty work, I know that universal pre-K in Kentucky would be an effective two- and three-generation approach to poverty that creates jobs and allows parents to study and work while their children get prepared for kindergarten. 

Q: With everything that has been going on locally and, in our nation,, how would you encourage people, especially in your district, to stay positive and to not give up?

I knock on doors a few days a week, and it has amazed me how open people are. When someone shares her concerns, I often tell her, "You are not alone" and watch her visibly exhale. This is the year we band together - women, parents, young people, LGBT people, people of color, educators, laborers, immigrants - and say, we have worked too hard for too long to get what we've got, and we will not go backward. This is going to be a good year.

For more information about Josie Raymond, please visit her website: www.josieraymond.com