Education

BA (Economics) - Tufts University
PhD - University of Kentucky

Pete Lynch | University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences

Pete Lynch earned his PhD with the University of Kentucky's Department of Political Science in 2022. His dissertation focused on the influence of the Federalist Society.

Pete Lynch earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Tufts University and a Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky in 2022.

After completing his PhD, Lynch served as a visiting assistant professor at Centre College for two years (2022-23 and 2023-24) and as a visiting assistant professor at Eastern Kentucky University for one year (2024-25). Lynch is now a lecturer for the Law and Justice program within the Department of Political Science.

Pete Lynch currently works as a lecturer in the Law and Justice program within the Department of Political Science. He previously served as a visiting assistant professor at Centre College and Eastern Kentucky University.

Pete currently works as a lecturer in the Law and Justice program within the Department of Political Science. He previously served as a visiting assistant professor at Centre College and Eastern Kentucky University.

2026 Kentucky General Election

Affordable housing

Homes should be for families, not profit. Rising costs have put homeownership and renting out of reach for many. To make housing more affordable, we must:

Ban foreign and hedge fund ownership of single-family homes

Cap rent increases for corporate-owned rental properties

Policies | Pete Lynch for Kentucky

Ban foreign and hedge fund ownership of single-family homes

Cap rent increases for corporate-owned rental properties

Limit residential ownership: 25 units per individual, 500 per corporation

Provide federal matching funds for individual building their own homes

Break up corporate monopolies

Strengthen workers' bargaining power by repealing Taft-Hartley outright or by passing the PRO Act to amend it

Protect gig economy workers and independent contractors

Cap CEO compensation at 10x the average worker's pay

Cap CEO compensation at 10x the average worker's pay

Implement minimum wages that reflect local living wages, with annual adjustments based on local cost of living changes

Raise the corporate tax rate to 50% and use the new tax revenue to fund an United States Profit Dividend, which will be distributed equally among all adult Americans.

Implement minimum wages that reflect local living wages, with annual adjustments based on local cost of living changes

Raise the corporate tax rate to 50% and use the new tax revenue to fund an United States Profit Dividend, which will be distributed equally among all adult Americans.

Foreign policy

Count capital gains as income and tax accordingly

Exempt the first $25,000 of income from federal taxes

Tax billionaires 10% of net worth above $1 billion

Lower taxes for households earning under $250,000 and raise rates for those earning over $1 million

Tax billionaires 10% of net worth above $1 billion

Lower taxes for households earning under $250,000 and raise rates for those earning over $1 million

Supports banning foreign and hedge-fund ownership of single-family homes.

Supports caps on rent increases for corporate-owned rental properties.

Supports repealing the Taft-Hartley Act or passing the Protecting the Right to Organize Act to strengthen workers' bargaining power.

Supports minimum wages that reflect local living costs and adjust annually for local cost-of-living changes.

Proposes raising the corporate tax rate to 50% and distributing the revenue equally to adult Americans through a United States Profit Dividend.

Supports exempting the first $25,000 of income from federal taxes and lowering taxes for households earning under $250,000.

- Supports banning foreign and hedge-fund ownership of single-family homes.
- Supports caps on rent increases for corporate-owned rental properties.
- Supports repealing the Taft-Hartley Act or passing the Protecting the Right to Organize Act to strengthen workers' bargaining power.
- Supports minimum wages that reflect local living costs and adjust annually for local cost-of-living changes.
- Proposes raising the corporate tax rate to 50% and distributing the revenue equally to adult Americans through a United States Profit Dividend.
- Supports exempting the first $25,000 of income from federal taxes and lowering taxes for households earning under $250,000.

Economy

Medicare for All

Healthcare is a human right, not a privilege. Americans pay more than any other country but get far less access. To fix our broken system, we must:

Provide universal healthcare coverage for all Americans

Eliminate out-of-pocket costs for essential services and prescriptions

Provide universal healthcare coverage for all Americans

Eliminate out-of-pocket costs for essential services and prescriptions

Simplify administration to reduce waste and overhead

Ensure care is accessible in rural and underserved areas

Supports universal healthcare coverage for all Americans and eliminating out-of-pocket costs for essential services and prescriptions.

- Supports universal healthcare coverage for all Americans and eliminating out-of-pocket costs for essential services and prescriptions.

Healthcare

Lower prices while keeping the market fairly regulated and taxed

Protect users from criminal convictions and employment barriers

Privacy

Privacy

Technology has developed at such a rapid pace that our privacy laws no longer meaningfully protect our privacy. We need a federal law to:

End the "third-party doctrine" by banning corporations from giving individuals' information law enforcement without a warrant

Ban the use of federal grants for Flock or other ALPRs

Criminal justice reform

The only countries with higher incarceration rates than the United States are El Salvador, Cuba, Rwanda, and Turkmenistan. This is largely because we rely far too much on incarceration and not nearly enough on fines. To restore our identity as the "Land of the Free," we must:

End cash bail
Require that no more than 50% of convictions are made through the plea bargaining process

Require that at least 50% of convictions do not result in prison, relying instead on fines, community service, and other penalties that are more humane than prison
Eliminate three strikes laws
Restore voting rights to all convicts who have served their time

Supports protecting marijuana users from criminal convictions and employment barriers.

Proposes banning corporations from providing personal information to law enforcement without a warrant.

Supports ending cash bail and eliminating three-strikes laws.

- Supports protecting marijuana users from criminal convictions and employment barriers.
- Proposes banning corporations from providing personal information to law enforcement without a warrant.
- Supports ending cash bail and eliminating three-strikes laws.

Public Safety

Only allow employment background checks to flag ex-convicts whose crimes involved stealing from their employer

Abolish ICE and replace it with in immigration enforcement organization that respects human life and the rule of law

Return voting rights to all felons except those who have been convicted of voter fraud

Foreign policy

America’s foreign policy should serve the people, not corporate interests. We must prioritize humanitarian aid, veterans, and domestic investment:

Amend the War Powers Resolution to so that only Congress can decide whether to go to war or begin new military engagements

End all military aid for offensive purposes

Amend the War Powers Resolution to so that only Congress can decide whether to go to war or begin new military engagements

End all military aid for offensive purposes

Stop funding Israel's military and require all lobbyists that advocate for the interests of foreing countries to register as agents under the FARA

End all military aid for offensive purposes

Stop funding Israel's military and require all lobbyists that advocate for the interests of foreing countries to register as agents under the FARA

Direct foreign aid to food, medicine, and rebuilding communities—not weapons

Proposes abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and replacing it with an immigration-enforcement organization that respects human life and the rule of law.

Supports amending the War Powers Resolution so only Congress can decide whether to begin wars or new military engagements.

Supports ending military aid for offensive purposes and stopping U.S. funding for Israel's military.

- Proposes abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and replacing it with an immigration-enforcement organization that respects human life and the rule of law.
- Supports amending the War Powers Resolution so only Congress can decide whether to begin wars or new military engagements.
- Supports ending military aid for offensive purposes and stopping U.S. funding for Israel's military.

Foreign Policy and Immigration

Data centers and AI

AI and other big tech companies have been buying up rural land for data centers, and they sometimes even do it secretly by forcing the seller to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). Their data centers are going to continue drive up energy costs all around the country. We need to enact a moratorium blocking the construction of new data centers. Then, before any new data center construction can begin, we must:

Prohibit the use of NDAs when corporations buy land from individuals and make all land sales for the purpose of building data centers a matter of public record
Require data centers to pay the full cost for grid upgrades and expansion
Require data centers to rely on on-site energy during peak hours

Require data centers to maintain energy in reserve sufficient to maintain their operations for at least 12 hours without drawing from the local grid
Ensure that data centers are only built if their construction is approved by the local community through a majority vote in a process that is open to all adults living in the affected area
Conduct independent water and impact studies confirming that the planned data center would have no serious impact on the water supply, environment, farms, animals, or people before construction may begin

Clean energy and public power for Kentucky families

Energy should benefit communities, not just corporations. By expanding public power, investing in renewables, and holding large energy users accountable, we can lower bills, create jobs, and strengthen local control. To achieve these goals, we must:

Expand public power utilities to lower costs and increase local control

Invest in solar, wind, and other renewables in rural and underserved areas

Expand public power utilities to lower costs and increase local control

Invest in solar, wind, and other renewables in rural and underserved areas

Provide rebates and incentives for households and small businesses to adopt solar and energy-efficient appliances

Calls for a moratorium on new data-center construction.

Proposes requiring data centers to fund grid upgrades and expansion costs.

Proposes requiring local majority approval before data centers are built.

Supports expanding publicly owned power utilities to increase local control and lower costs.

Supports investing in solar, wind, and other renewable energy in rural and underserved areas.

- Calls for a moratorium on new data-center construction.
- Proposes requiring data centers to fund grid upgrades and expansion costs.
- Proposes requiring local majority approval before data centers are built.
- Supports expanding publicly owned power utilities to increase local control and lower costs.
- Supports investing in solar, wind, and other renewable energy in rural and underserved areas.

Energy & the Environment

Match small-donor contributions to amplify everyday voters’ voices

Ban unlimited donations to super PACs and other mechanisms that let the ultra-wealthy dominate elections

Ban all members of Congress from buying or selling individual stocks

TOP POLICY PRIORITIES

Campaign finance reform, lobbying, and political corruption

Elected officials should represent the people, not billionaires or corporations. Right now, politicians respond to wealthy donors, not everyday Americans. To restore accountability and fairness, we must:

Tax every dollar spent on elections above $2,500 per individual or corporation per calendar year at 100%, with revenue funding schools, healthcare, and infrastructure

Tax all lobbying spending above $1 million per callendar year at 100%

Require candidates to get at least 50% of their funding from small individual contributions; after the second election in which they don't meet that threshold, they must vacate their seat at the end of the term

Make all campaign contributions and political spending fully transparent

Require candidates to get at least 50% of their funding from small individual contributions; after the second election in which they don't meet that threshold, they must vacate their seat at the end of the term

Make all campaign contributions and political spending fully transparent

Match small-donor contributions to amplify everyday voters’ voices

Supports banning unlimited donations to super political action committees and similar election-financing mechanisms.

Proposes a 100% tax on annual election spending above $2,500 per individual or corporation, with revenue for schools, healthcare, and infrastructure.

Supports requiring candidates to obtain at least half their funding from small individual contributions and losing office after a second failure.

Supports full transparency for campaign contributions and political spending.

- Supports banning unlimited donations to super political action committees and similar election-financing mechanisms.
- Proposes a 100% tax on annual election spending above $2,500 per individual or corporation, with revenue for schools, healthcare, and infrastructure.
- Supports requiring candidates to obtain at least half their funding from small individual contributions and losing office after a second failure.
- Supports full transparency for campaign contributions and political spending.

Voting & Elections

Provide free breakfast for every student in every school

Offer 4 years of free public college or 4 years of subsidized vocational training for every young Kentuckian

Expand internships, apprenticeships, and job readiness programs

Support teachers with competitive pay and resources

Supports four years of free public college or four years of subsidized vocational training for every young Kentuckian.

- Supports four years of free public college or four years of subsidized vocational training for every young Kentuckian.

Education

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

TikTok

Pete Lynch

- Supports amending the War Powers Resolution so only Congress can decide whether to begin wars or new military engagements.
- Supports ending military aid for offensive purposes and stopping U.S. funding for Israel's military.

- Proposes a 100% tax on annual election spending above $2,500 per individual or corporation, with revenue for schools, healthcare, and infrastructure.
- Supports requiring candidates to obtain at least half their funding from small individual contributions and losing office after a second failure.
- Supports full transparency for campaign contributions and political spending.

Mauricio Mendez

Buket Urgen

Jay J Bowman

Ralph Alvarado

Zach Dembo

- Your US Representative represents the interests of your district in the U.S. House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress. Kentucky currently has 6 U.S. Representatives.
- US Representatives can author, sponsor, debate, and vote on bills that become federal law.
- Representatives may serve on congressional committees. Committees focus on certain areas of policy, such as transportation, education, or labor. They may also run for higher positions within their party, such as the Speaker of the House or Majority/Minority Leader.
- Representatives are elected to two-year terms and there are no term limits. U.S. Representatives are paid a salary of $174,000/year.
-  Representatives must be at least 25 years old, a U.S. citizen for seven years, and an inhabitant of the state from which he or she is elected. 

Your representative and federal lawmaker in the U.S. House of Representatives