Supporters of Warren County’s Democratic candidates banded together with their potential representatives, including Lt. Gov. and 2027 Kentucky governor candidate Jacqueline Coleman, over burgers and policy in the party’s first-ever fundraising cookout Monday. 

Hosted by the Warren County Democratic Party, the event brought together Democratic candidates and their constituents in an educational yet community-driven space. Attendants were informed their voting by listening to speeches and directly communicating with candidates, all while bonding and eating. 

The fundraiser, which sold out of its 150 tickets, featured various candidates running for office in elections in May and November, as well as in 2027. Throughout the event, attendants visited booths with policy information for individual candidates and ways to be civically engaged. 

The event featured  Coleman, who announced her bid as 2027 Kentucky governor earlier Monday. Coleman used the event as an opportunity to not just assert her candidacy, but to speak about the poignant issues in her campaign, like education. 

“I think that it is important to show up in places all across Kentucky, so that people know that you’re going to not just show up for them now, but continue fighting for them once you’re in office,” Coleman said. 

Patti Minter, chair of the Warren County Democratic Party and professor of history at WKU, said that through the event, the party demonstrates its belief in power in the hands of the people. 

“It’s just (a) really wonderful opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with people who are asking for your vote and asking to represent you,” Minter said. “This is what we’re all about.” 

Coleman said she hopes that attendees realized that, as someone who wants to show up and listen, they matter to her. 

“I’ve had several people bring up issues to me tonight that they wanted me to focus on, or they wanted to make me aware of, and I listened to it,” Coleman said. “When you listen to people, you start to piece the puzzle together about the things that matter to Kentuckians the most, and that’s what nights like tonight are about.” 

Coleman had already agreed to be the event’s keynote speaker, but decided to kick off her run for governor in Bowling Green, which sits within the third-largest city in the state. 

“The fact that she chose to include Bowling Green on her very first day of introducing herself as a candidate for governor, I think, speaks volumes about how important this county is and how much we obviously mean to her and to anybody who’s seeking office,”  Minter said. 

Pamela Stevenson, the current Kentucky House of Representatives minority floor leader and candidate for U.S. Senate, followed Coleman. Stevenson said she wanted to use the event as an opportunity to motivate people to care about their communities and engage in conversation with like-minded people. 

“When you’re talking to people, it creates a synergy…it’s like brainstorming,” Stevenson said. “It all happens in conversation, and then once you have agreement and partnerships, you can move forward together.”

Other invited candidates who spoke about their campaigns throughout the event included: 

• Barry M. Brown running for Warren County District 3 Magistrate 
• Megan Bailey running for Warren County District 4 Magistrate
• Dana Beasely Brown running for reelection in Bowling Green City Commission 
• Carlos Bailey running for reelection in Bowling Green City Commission 
• Hank Linderman running for U.S. House of Representatives in Kentucky District 2
• William Compton running for U.S. House of Representatives in Kentucky District 2
• Megan Wingfield running for U.S. House of Representatives in Kentucky District 2
• Vincent Thomas running for U.S. Senate 

Jacob King, a sophomore international affairs and political science major and president of WKU College Democrats, was invited alongside other members of College Democrats to attend the event. He said he felt honored to be invited as a student, especially because of the country being in a “very dark place.” 

“Change is possible, if you do the work, if you show that you can be a part of this change,” King said. “You can talk to your elected officials, talk to people running for Congress, let them hear your voice directly, because your voice is powerful.”