Lexington, Kentucky – In the race for the open central Kentucky congressional seat, Republican candidate Dr. Ralph Alvarado is facing criticism from the Kentucky Democratic Party after a review of his campaign website revealed the removal of direct references to President Donald Trump.
Democrats allege a bait‑and‑switch
The Kentucky Democratic Party, led by Chairman Coleman Elridge, called the change a “desperate cover‑up” of Alvarado’s support for the president’s policies, which the party says are harming Kentucky families. Elridge said the move suggests Alvarado is trying to distance himself from the administration’s agenda.
Alvarado’s campaign pushes back
Alvarado’s campaign manager, Alex Westberry, rejected the accusation, labeling the Democrats as “socialists” and asserting that the campaign has proudly touted the president’s endorsement. Westberry noted that a photo of Alvarado standing beside President Trump still appears in the site’s media gallery.
Website comparison shows wording shift
According to an NBC News investigation, an archived version of the site once displayed a headline reading, “Ralph was one of President Trump’s earliest supporters, and now he’s stepping up to fight alongside him in Washington to fire up the economy, secure our border, and stop the woke agenda.” The current version replaces that language with a focus on “independent leadership for Kentucky,” emphasizing lower cost of living, a stronger state economy, and solutions that put Kentucky families first.
Alvarado’s bipartisan record highlighted
In prior interviews with LEX News, Alvarado emphasized his willingness to work across party lines. After winning the Republican primary, he described collaborating with Democratic legislators on bills that passed both chambers of the Kentucky General Assembly. He said, “Democrats looked at my bills — they like them. I looked at their amendments, incorporated them, and got a lot of legislation through.”
Opponent calls the edit a poll‑driven move
Democratic contender Zach Dembo seized on the website change, accusing Alvarado of “claiming to be Trump’s guy when it helped him and then deleting any mention of the president because the latest poll told him he should.”
Campaign maintains endorsement visibility
Despite the textual revisions, Alvarado’s team points to the continued presence of a photo with President Trump in the site’s gallery as evidence that the endorsement remains a central part of the campaign’s messaging.
What’s at stake
The controversy underscores the importance of President Trump’s endorsement in Kentucky’s Republican primaries, where alignment with the president often signals credibility to the party base. As the race heads toward the general election, both campaigns are likely to use the issue to rally their respective supporters.
Voters in Lexington and the broader central Kentucky district will have the opportunity to weigh the candidate’s policy positions, bipartisan claims, and the significance of the presidential endorsement when they head to the polls later this year.
Original reporting: WTVQ (Lexington) — read the source article.
