|
Travis Brenda, 43, pulled a 51-49 percent upset in the race for
the state's 71st district seat over House Majority Floor Leader
Jonathan Shell, who had the backing from U.S. Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, according to
local media.
Brenda said Shell called him and conceded, the Lexington Herald
Leader newspaper reported.
In victory, Brenda said he credited support from teachers and
state workers who were displeased with what lawmakers "did on
the pension bill," the newspaper reported.
Kentucky teachers were among thousands of educators in several
states to protest and stage work stoppages during the last
couple of months, demanding increases in pay and school budgets.
Kentucky teachers demonstrated in the state capital, Frankfort,
in April after lawmakers passed a bill that mandates a hybrid
pension plan with individual retirement accounts for new hires.
Shell, a 30-year-old farmer who has held seat since 2012, played
a key role in the passage of the controversial measure,
according to the Lexington Herald Leader newspaper.
(Corrects typos in paragraph 1)
(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Michael
Perry)
[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
