NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. — A contentious primary race in Central Kentucky could change the direction of Republicans in the state senate.

In Kentucky Senate District 22, incumbent Sen. Donald Douglas is taking on Andrew Cooperrider, who owns Brewed coffee shop in Lexington and was a high-profile challenger of Gov. Andy Beshear’s COVID mandates in court.

Cooperrider said he’s running to keep the government from getting bigger.

“If we don’t get involved and if we don’t push back and fight back and say hey, look what’s going on historically, we will lose everything our country and our state stands for,” he said.

Douglas, a health care practitioner with over 40 years of experience who currently serves as medical director at the Tony Desk IMAC Regeneration Center in Lexington, won a special election to fill the open seat in District 22 after Sen. Tom Buford died last year.

“I want to serve the people of District 22,” Douglas said. “That’s what I’ve done pretty much all my life.”

More than $237,000 has been raised by both men seeking the GOP nomination—according to the most recent filings due May 4, Cooperrider reported $124,671 while Douglas has raised $113,040.

Of note in Douglas’ campaign report:

• A large portion of Douglas’ campaign haul, $90,200, came between April 19 and May 4.
• The Kentucky Senate GOP’s campaign committee donated $25,000, while seven individual senators — Robert Stivers, David Givens, Mike Wilson, Julie Raque Adams, John Schickel, Chris McDaniel, and Jason Howell — donated a combined $1,400.
• $18,000 came from various political action committees
• Douglas donated $22,090 of his own money to the campaign on Jan. 4

Much of what Cooperrider has raised comes from individual donors, although another group has been sending mailers attacking Douglas, including one with a photoshopped image of him shaking hands with Gov. Andy Beshear.

That original image actually depicts Douglas shaking hands with GOP congressional representative Andy Barr. Douglas said Cooperrider’s campaign has also been making false claims about the senator’s record.

“If your purpose is simply to get elected, I guess you do whatever you need to do to get elected,” Douglas said. “If your purpose is to be honest with your constituents and represent your constituents in an honest way, this is not the way to do it.”

Cooperrider said his main issues with Douglas’ record were that he didn’t publicly advocate for medical rights issues, like a ban on vaccine mandates.

“They could have at least said one thing, one thing, to encourage their colleagues publicly to pass House Bill 28,” Cooperrider said. “He didn’t do that. He didn’t stand up for medical freedom.”

Douglas said he supports the bill, but because the House didn’t pass it until March 10, Senate leadership decided there wasn’t enough time to pursue it.

Cooperrider also noted that when the legislative session started, Douglas voted to extend the COVID-19 state of emergency. Douglas later sponsored a resolution ending the COVID-19 state of emergency a month earlier than it was scheduled to end under the previously mentioned extension.

Douglas said he stands by his record, which also includes votes to cut the state income tax rate, limit abortion, ban trans girls from girls’ sports and give state funds to charter schools.

“We got a lot done in the General Assembly this year, and we worked together,” he said. “We don’t need a ‘Bull in a china shop,’ that doesn’t move us forward.”

Cooperrider said the Senate would move to be more conservative if he’s elected.

“I think you’d see a lot of change up there real quick,” he said. “I think suddenly, you’d see legislators would actually start listening to their voters a lot more.”

The winner of the Republican primary will likely take on Chuck Eddy in November, who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.