Alan Keck: Voters want authentic candidates with original ideas. | Opinion

When did being yourself become such an anomaly in politics?

Analysis of the first gubernatorial debate in the GOP primary has labeled me a low-name-ID candidate trying to distinguish myself from the rest of the field by having differing views.

But that’s just me being me, Alan Keck.

Authenticity is what we all should expect from candidates, but I find it sorely lacking. When someone asks a member of my team, “Is that real?” after we’ve met, I have to frame that question within the greater context of our growing political divide: People don’t expect their elected leaders to be genuine anymore.

That’s disappointing. But it motivates me to continue being transparent, listening to Kentuckians, having real and honest conversations, and speaking up when the way we govern doesn’t make sense.

That’s the kind of leader Kentuckians want and deserve. And it makes me best positioned to beat Andy Beshear in the fall, because everyone in my party can agree: He does not represent the values of a majority of Kentuckians.

So who is Alan Keck? If I’m willing to accept a label, it’s that of a commonsense conservative, experienced CEO and Kentucky mayor devoted to my Christian faith, my family, ideas that embrace the American tenets of freedom and liberty, and policies that will make our Commonwealth win again.

But I also believe good ideas have no boundaries. If there’s a policy that can make Kentucky grow and thrive, it deserves a closer look. Does it represent Kentucky values? Does it make good fiscal sense? Does it make Kentuckians’ lives better and our state more competitive? I will ask those questions as your governor.

I asked them as I wrote the Keck Game Plan for Kentucky, a document that is the purest reflection of my heart for moving Kentucky forward. In it, you will find solutions that reject some of the biggest lies told about the Republican Party, solutions that pundits claim set me apart but are really just common sense.

One lie is that you can’t be a Republican and support public schools or universal pre-K. Not only can you, you should. Studies show if we invest in our children’s early education, their lives will be better. They are less likely to live in poverty, be arrested, go on welfare or be unemployed. We need this approach to combat generational poverty and our workforce crisis. But we also must be willing to diversify spending and invest at all levels, where parents want their children to be taught — whether in a public, private or homeschool environment.

Another lie is that while Republicans are pro-life, we stop caring about the child after they are born. That is nonsense — but we need more policies that reflect our strong commitment to family values. To be truly pro-life, we must give families tools for success, like incentives for businesses to provide extended maternity or paternity leave, and eliminating taxes on things like diapers, wipes and formula. And child care has to become more accessible and affordable.

We must also be willing to accept that being pro-life includes supporting the life of a woman who has been forever changed by a violent crime. I am unapologetically pro-life, and for that reason, I support exceptions for rape and incest in our abortion laws. While I would never encourage a woman to have an abortion, to ignore the impact on her life, under those circumstances, seems extreme. It makes me no less Republican — it makes me human. We can no longer pretend these decisions are made in a vacuum.

In the final two months of this campaign, I hope we can have deeper conversations about these issues and others, like medical marijuana and sports gaming, which I support. Voters will always find me ready for it.

So I’ll answer your question: Yes, I am real. And that makes me the strongest candidate to beat Andy Beshear in the fall.

Alan Keck is a Republican candidate for governor of Kentucky and serving in his second term as mayor of Somerset.