Lexington to Louisville and around Bowling Green.

We've introduced you to some of the candidates in this year's primary election on the statehouse level.

Tonight, we go to northern Kentucky, where a former state lawmaker is taking on a young political newcomer for an open seat.

Our Clayton Dalton takes a closer look at the Republican primary in Kentucky's 66 House districts.

Kentucky 66th House District sits in northern Kentucky, Boone County, specifically just south of the Ohio River.

The district is intertwined with the culture and economy of Cincinnati, but the candidates vying for the Republican nomination say they're running with Kentuckians in mind.

Their inspiration to run, however, is different.

I believe that we are losing sight of what the proper role of government is.

The proper role of government is the protection of life, liberty and property.

I'm running, by and large, just to serve as a reminder that that is what our job is.

Well, I've always had an interest in education that's been something that's in my blood because my father's a retired principal.

My mom's a retired teacher.

In fact, playing it forward, my three daughters.

Two of them are teachers in Kenton County and one works for the Tennessee School Boards Association.

So I've always had an interest in governance, and education is one of the foundational blocks of our society.

Massie held the seat for the district from 2018 until 2022, when he was beaten by current state Representative Steve Rawlings.

Rawlings is now running for a seat in the state Senate, and Massie says he wants his old job back.

I'm running for office again.

I feel like my work there wasn't finished and I look forward to returning and adding some leadership and adding some vigor for northern Kentucky.

I feel like northern Kentucky really lost a lot of representation and we need to get that back.

Roberts, like many northern Kentucky Republicans, aligns with the Liberty or Tea Party movement popularized by people like Kentucky Senator Rand Paul.

This sector of Republicans prioritizes shrinking the role of government, something Roberts says is his top priority.

I fundamentally believe that we need a government that is small enough to fit inside of the Constitution and we do not have it.

We've never had it in my lifetime.

I don't think we've ever had it even in my mother's lifetime.

We have overarching we let government take over the roles of society where faith, where families, where communities are better situated to resolve those issues.

Kentucky voters will see a ballot initiative in November that could pave the way for charter schools.

Private schools that are funded by tax dollars.

Massie voted against a prominent charter school bill in the past.

He says he had issues with the details of the bill.

Massie didn't outright say he supports charter schools, but he does believe more parent involvement is needed in education.

So I'm all for what I would refer to as parental choice.

As an educator, having taught my way through law school, I believe that every school I've ever seen that has parental involvement is a successful school.

Many of our schools don't have that parental involvement, and a lot of that comes from where the kids are drawn from.

And so particularly urban areas, sometimes there's just not a lot of parental support.

That's a problem.

And so we have to work through that whole process.

Kids do not choose where they're born, who they're born to, or what income cycle they're born into.

We have a duty as citizens, as people, as human beings to provide educational opportunities to all of those children.

And I think there's a way, if we get all stakeholders involved, all parents, teachers, administrators, legislators, governors, officials, and sit down and have an intelligent debate and conversation, I think there are ways to work through this with adequate funding for all types of schools.

Roberts says he supports charter schools unequivocally.

I believe that money should follow the student.

It should not follow the system.

I actually went to Boone County Public Schools from first grade through 12th grade.

Some of my best memories of my life are there.

It was a great school system for me.

It's not a great school system for everyone.

There's no such thing as a great school system for everyone.

One size fits all doesn't work.

I believe that parents know what's best for their children.

Almost every time.

Almost every time.

School choice isn't necessarily even.

It isn't even necessarily for the student who's already thriving.

It's for the student who's struggling.

And as tensions between mainstream Republicans and liberty, Republicans continue to grow in Frankfort, voters of the 66th District have an important question to answer.

What kind of candidate do they want to represent them in the halls of the Capitol?

As experienced attorney of 31 years as a legislator for four years and having school board experience for all of those years, I think that I'm well equipped to go down there and work for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, specifically for the citizens of Boone County.

I want to show that young conservatives, we are the next generation that's going to truly restore our republic.

We're going to restore the vision of the Founding Fathers.

I'm just a small part of that.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Clayton Dalton.

Thank you, Clayton.

Two years ago, three liberty Republicans in northern Kentucky.

House races ousted the sitting Republican representatives.

Massie is the only one of those three ousted who is running for office again.