Kentucky’s Appalachian Representatives

Thomas Massie (KY-4)

Freshman Thomas Massie is a conservative thinker with libertarian leanings, endorsed by both Rand and Ron Paul. Massie supports using all energy that can be produced in Kentucky, from coal to solar, as dictated by the free market with little regulation and zero subsidies. His northern Kentucky district includes suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio.
District Specs: 15% poverty rate, 31.8% rural, Education level: 24.9% college, 87% high school

Hal Rogers (KY-05)

Decidedly pro-coal, the current Republican Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee consistently votes in the interests of the coal industry and has said that “coal is not America’s energy problem, it is America’s energy solution.” Rogers’ district, nestled in the eastern corner of Kentucky, is home to more mountaintop removal than any other district in the nation and, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, ranks dead last in the nation in life expectancy, physical health, emotional health, and overall well-being.
District specs: 28% poverty rate, 76.5% rural, Education level: 11.2% college, 72.2% high school

Andy Barr (KY-6)

Though this freshman representative from Eastern Kentucky does not yet have a voting record, he has made his position clear on a number legislative efforts. Barr vehemently opposes putting a tax on carbon and tougher regulations on toxic power plant emissions, and chided his opponent, former Rep. Ben Chandler, for cosponsoring the Clean Water Protection Act, which he said would virtually ban all surface mining in Kentucky.
District Specs: 19% poverty rate, 27.4% rural, Education level: 29.3% college, 85.8% high school