USMC veteran Amy McGrath, who is challenging incumbent Mitch McConnell for his seat in the United States Senate, made a campaign stop at Carter Caves State Resort Park Friday afternoon.
McGrath, a Democrat and retired pilot who flew F/A-18 fighter jets while serving with the Marine Corps, was greeted by a small crowd – nearly all of whom wore masks and seated themselves according to social distancing guidelines.
Before discussing her campaign and goals for public service, McGrath spent several minutes speaking with local supporters and their families at the state park’s amphitheater.
According to her Facebook page,
“Amy McGrath, a retired US Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel raised in Kentucky, is running for the US Senate to fix Washington and give Kentuckians back their voice.
“Amy was born the youngest of three children to Donald and Marianne McGrath. Her father was a high school English teacher and her mother was one of the first women to graduate from the University of Kentucky medical school.
“When Amy was 13 years old, she dreamed of becoming a fighter pilot, but women were not yet allowed to serve in combat roles in our military. So she wrote to her elected officials to ask them to change the law. She never heard back from her senator, Mitch McConnell.
“Amy graduated from the US Naval Academy and overcame the odds to become the first woman in the Marine Corps to fly a combat mission in an F/A-18 fighter jet. She served 20 years in the Marines where she flew 89 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, targeting al-Qaida and the Taliban, before retiring and moving back home to Kentucky to raise her family.
“Amy lives in Georgetown, Kentucky, with her husband Erik, a retired Navy pilot and registered Republican, and her three children, Teddy (7), George (5), and Eleanor (3).
“Amy became a Marine combat pilot to fight and defend her country and now she is taking the fight to Washington to solve the problems Kentuckians face in their every-day lives. Amy was a registered independent for 12 years, so she always prioritizes practical solutions over partisan interests.
“She’s not running for Senate to get rich and join the Washington swamp. Amy is ready to take on career politicians like Mitch McConnell and bring accountability and leadership back to Kentucky.”
Info & Photos by TIM PRESTON
Carter County Post