BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Election Day is less than two months away and the mayoral race in Bowling Green has caught the attention of many in the community.

Republican candidate, Todd Alcott, hopes to win the seat with broadband internet as his front running issue. A Junior ROTC teacher at Warren East High School, he has seen first hand the struggle many students have faced with distance learning. Due to the coronavirus, students in Warren County Public Schools learn from home 3 times a week. Using tax dollars and working with commercial entities, Alcott says internet access should be a responsibility politicians on every level should work together to address. 

“I am not going to sit alone, I am going to work strategically with the county because they have tax dollars, I am going to work strategically with the community because our annual surveys and what we put together as a community actually brings dollars here and I’d think if we consolidate those efforts with commercial entities then we can get this done,” says Alcott. 

If elected, Alcott also plans to help out small businesses. Many small businesses were devastated by the pandemic, having to shut their doors and only now operating at limited capacity. While Alcott wants to keep all Kentuckians safe, he would like to see more involvement from the government on the local level. 

“We need leaders to stand up and be able to say stop, we need to be at the table, we need to be able to decide what’s best for our community and best for our employees and be part of the step-by-step process to be able to handle that,” says Alcott. 

Alcott would also like to focus on affordable housing and diversity, hoping to create a space that reflects the city of Bowling Green. Campaigning during a pandemic hasn’t been easy, but he says it has forced him to get creative. Between standing on various street corners registering people to vote, and attending community events, Alcott says, if elected mayor, he hopes to be a person of the people. 

"I’m accessible. I hand my card over to people. It has my telephone number, my cell phone number. I think it's critical. If you’re going to be in a role to be in public support and run to be on the city council or the mayor in the local election, then you need to be available to the people,” says Alcott. 

Election Day is Nov. 3, and while Alcott is the only one on the ballot, two write-in candidates are running for the mayoral seat, Democrat Tom Morris, and Democrat Chris Page.