Last week, we brought you part of my conversation with former Republican candidate for mayor and Somerset or governor, rather, and Somerset Mayor Alan Keck.

Tonight, the rest of our talk about how he created a lane in the crowded primary for himself with what he calls a unique candor and avoidance of some national issues.

Keck placed sixth in the May primary contest, but says that showing doesn't discourage him from possible future attempts at elected office.

Did you ever feel like you were out of step in terms of your policy positions or on controversial things that could have cost you some votes?

When I traveled the state, I never really got the sense that I was, you know, because of of maybe the uniqueness of my candor in some of the debates.

I think folks felt that I was trying to create a lane that really wasn't the case.

I was just being honest.

And that honesty and transparency, I think, showed up in a way, or maybe manifested a way that it could have been more moderate.

You know, I talked about sports gaming before anyone else in the field.

Well, that ended up passing with the Republican legislature.

Medical marijuana in the same way.

And so in a way, my issues have led the way.

Now, we're not trailing behind or waiting to catch up.

Maybe my delivery is a little bit more unique or I don't talk about some of the national issues in a way that a traditional candidate would.

On things like pro-life, pro-choice, even though I am adamantly pro-life on the Second Amendment.

You know, you ask the question that night about being able to destroy a murder weapon.

I had somebody that works in our police force come talk to me about it, spent it, spent a lot of time around murder weapons.

And he said when he heard my answer, it made him cringe at first.

And then as he started thinking about it, he said, why should somebody on this gun, you know, we're not infringing on anyone's right to own one.

So what I hope is, you know, we will be in issues later.

I'm not going to wait for polling to tell me what's popular.

Is it a little bit early maybe, or maybe I was just a little bit late and underfunded.

Maybe my message is exactly what the party needs to win big elections, you know, not just right here at home, but nationwide.

Yeah.

So Congress is a possibility.

And we know, in fact, the Dean Rogers, Congressman Rogers was acknowledged the week that we talked, Right, for being the longest serving member.

And so there's a lot of history there.

But he is, you know, progressing.

Yeah.

And so many people do wonder how much more time he might serve.

And there are a lot of people who could be in that same fray.

I mean, we've heard names like Alison.

All right.

My good my good friend, Chris Gardner.

Chris Gardner.

You know who for a long time, folks would assume that, you know, he was the heir apparent.

And look, Chris is so talented.

Alison's very talented.

There's there's members of the General Assembly that are thinking about it.

Again, candidly, I'm actually not thinking about that race.

That is not in my immediate plan.

And the main reason I'll say to two things I have young kids is, you know, you ask about them off to the job, always appreciate.

You're always so kind to ask about my family.

The other is, you know, you become one of 435.

It's an incredibly important job.

And I'm not ruling it out, but I'm not as naturally wired to do that.

I am not wired to lead and to build and to to build a team and to get things done.

You know, my heart is really in Kentucky.

I that's why I ran for governor, you know, as an executive role.

That's why I love being mayor.

I get to get things done.

I work with that legislative body, cast the vision and go execute it.

So I don't rule it out because again, I want to make sure that I'm a good steward wherever the Lord would lead me.

And if he changes my heart and Tiffany's heart and says that this is okay, maybe we journey down that path.

But that's that's not where my focus is.

You can see part one of my interview with Mayor Allen Kirk on last Thursday's Kentucky edition.

That's online and on demand at Katie dot org slash Kentucky edition.