Two Republicans want their party's nomination in the 45th House District in Lexington.

It's an incumbent versus a political newcomer.

And last year, transgender bill has become a key issue in the race.

Our Clayton Dalton talked to both candidates in tonight's look at primary 2024.

This is my second term.

So this I've just completed four four sessions.

So four years, it's been it's been an awesome experience.

You know, I'm a fixer and I'm a former teacher, so I know I have to be able to work with everyone.

But I've never held any public office.

I was in the car business for 38 years.

I held every position you can have from salesman to finance to being a general manager of a couple stores.

So experience wise, maybe not political, but getting to know people and understanding people and trying to solve solutions and work together I think will help me in politics itself.

Republican state Representative Killian Timoney has made headlines for breaking from his party on controversial legislation like last year's Senate Bill 150, which banned gender affirming care for minors in Kentucky.

Timoney voted no.

No regrets.

Thomas Jefferson has made that decision a central part of his campaign.

Well, I would have voted opposite of what he did.

Jefferson says this is about protecting kids.

While they're children.

We have responsibilities to protect them.

In my opinion, my opponent says it's government.

It's government overreach.

And that's why he voted against Senate Bill 150.

We have some bills that we have bills already in place that protect children, you know, from child abuse and things like that.

And in my opinion, a parent that would sign off a 13 year old to change their gender, that is a form of child abuse.

But Timoney says it's about parents, too.

I'm being misquoted and misstated that I am for gender reassignment surgeries for minors.

And that's not true.

That is not true.

It's never been true.

That story has not changed.

I heard parents.

I heard them when they said, listen, my rights are not being protected here.

Well, I voted to protect parent rights here and now people are saying that that it's not the case.

Now, this is a parents rights issue.

The two candidates also take a different approach to education in particularly charter schools.

One of the things I would also like to do is really look at what are we doing effectively in our schools and how can we streamline what our public schools are doing to make them more effective model?

A lot of the school choice discussions that are occurring out and around.

Why can't we implement those in our public schools?

If that's just a simple policy or a regulation piece, then let's fix it.

Let's get after it.

Let's make Kentucky awesome.

Seek money follows a student.

So I want to take that 4200 and let it follow the student anywhere the parent wants to take that student.

Such as if they want to go to a private school, if they want to go to Catholic school, if they want to go to if they want to homeschool, that will empower the parent to help fund that type of choice.

And with Election Day right around the corner, both are confident they're the right fit for the seat.

I don't like how he votes.

I like him.

He's a nice man.

All right.

I'm not trying to say anything disparaging about him, but I don't like how he votes.

And I want to be that conservative voice in Frankfurt for the 45th District.

The time for bridge burning is over.

The time for aggression and hate is over.

We have got to work together.

And that's why I want to keep serving in the 45th.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Clayton Dalton.

The winner of this Republican primary will face Democrat Adam Shaw in November.