Kathy Barnette Is Running For Congress 2020 In Pennsylvania

This Patch article is sponsored by Kathy Barnette for Congress.

Kathy Barnette is running for Congress in the 4th Congressional District of Pennsylvania. Learn more about Barnette's campaign and priorities in this exclusive Patch one-on-one:

Patch: What attracted you to politics, and how did you get started?

Barnette: Running for Congress was not on my bucket list of things to do. I’ve never ran for public office prior to running in this race, nor did I ever have any intentions of doing so. Before this, I primarily considered myself a stay-at-home mom who had the wonderful opportunity to home-school our kids for the past six years. However, toward the beginning of November 2019, an increasing uneasiness about the direction our country was heading in began to grow. As a nation, we were in the midst of a second attempt to impeach the president, and I had started reading about the new immigration reform bill, called the New Way Forward Act, H.R. 5383, which my opponent co-sponsored.

Most people would agree that we need to reform our immigration laws. However, I would have assumed that our legislators would have taken the American people’s “best interest” into consideration first when they were “reimagining” our laws. Instead, I was appalled to see that the bill literally redefines what it means to be an American. I thought to myself, “There may not be an America by the time my children grow up.” I thought about my own upbringing and realized that I needed to do more to make sure that the America that allowed me to crawl from under a rock and to build a life myself was still here for the next little boy or girl who found themselves underneath a rock and wanted to climb out.

Patch: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your campaign.

Barnette: I was a little Black girl who grew up on a pig farm in Southern Alabama. I grew up below the bottom rung of the economic ladder. I grew up in a home with no running water, no insulation, an outhouse in the back and a well on the side. But, because no one told me I was a victim, I became the first in my family to go and finish college. I spent 10 years in the U.S. Army Reserves, where I was accepted into Officer Candidacy School. I spent time in the financial industry, corporate America. I was an adjunct professor of corporate finance. I speak to millions. I’ve authored my first book, “Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain: Being Black and Conservative in America,” and now I’m running for Congress. From a pig farm to now running for Congress — only in America. I believe my story represents all that is good about this country. I’m running because I want to preserve this country for the next generation, for the next little boy or girl who decides they want more in life.

I am the first Black person to run for Congress in Montgomery County. We raised over $598,000 in the third quarter, with an average donation of $57. We are the literal definition of a grassroots campaign. The people of this district are interacting with our campaign like no other Republican campaign before us.

Patch: How long have you lived in Montgomery County?

Barnette: I have lived in Montgomery County for the past six years.

Patch: If you were to be elected, what would some of your top priorities/policies/changes be?

Barnette: I met with about 20 manufacturers in the Pottstown area. When I asked them what I could do to help their industry once I get in Congress, each and every one of them said two things: Hold China to fair and equitable trade agreements and open up a trade school. They each said they have jobs, but they lack a skilled pool of workers to select from.

There’s a lot of things we need to work on in D.C. and in this district, specifically. However, some of my top priorities will be (in no particular order):

• Holding the Communist Chinese government accountable for the over 200,000 American lives lost due to allowing a local virus to spread across the world.
• Get Americans back to work.
• Get our children back to school safely.
• Diversify the manufacturing of critical medical supplies away from China.
• Open up trade schools.
• Support law and order.

Patch: What distinguishes you from other candidates?

Barnette: My opponent talks about poverty in theory. I actually lived poverty. I was poor and now I’m not, and I know exactly what I did to claw my way from underneath that rock. I understand the need to find ways to work with people who may not think exactly as I do. I’ve proven this ability by the political affiliations of those who are a part of my team. Democrats are on my team. Recovering Democrats are on my team — those who have recently changed their registration to Republican. Independents are on my team. We even have two Republicans who do not support President Trump. There is an art to speaking with people, and it starts with having their best interest in mind, as well as my own.

Patch: What’s the most satisfying part about running in this election?

Barnette: One of the most satisfying parts about running in this election is the incredible people I’ve met along the way and the tremendous support they have given me. I’ve been endorsed by four Hindu organizations, the Log Cabin LGBTQ organization, all of the Fraternal Order of Police in the district and Asians for America. There are also innumerable people who go out canvassing for me every day and put up yard signs, donate to our campaign, share our social media posts, attend our events, pray for this campaign, cook dinner for my family and engage with this campaign on a daily basis. The overwhelming majority of them see the value of my convictions and not solely the color of my skin.

Patch: What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced during this election?

Barnette: One of the most challenging aspects in campaigning is when people ask if I’m a Republican or Democrat before asking me my position on critical issues facing our country and the world.

Patch: How can Patch readers learn more about your campaign?

Barnette: Patch readers can learn more about me and our campaign by going to www.KathyBarnetteForCongress.com. They can also find me on social media.