Former prosecutor who accused Trump of weaponizing DOJ wins Dem primary

Zach Dembo, a former U.S. attorney and Kentucky policy advisor, won a primary on Tuesday evening in a bid to fill Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District seat.

Although they now have their candidate, Democrats will face an uphill road to a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the November general election to replace outgoing Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky.

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Dembo began his career as an eighth grade English teacher before going on to law school and serving in the United States Navy Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps, according to his website. In 2017, he spent some time as a federal prosecutor and then was tapped by Gov. Beshear to become a policy advisor and legislative director.

Dembo cited Trump’s weaponization of the Justice Department as the catalyst that prompted him to pursue office.

“When Donald Trump started using your justice department to go after his political enemies, I resigned,” Dembo said in a campaign video.

“Our system is broken.”

Dembo had raised just shy of a million dollars as of the end of April — $956,000, according to FEC records.

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Notably, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear didn’t make an endorsement in the Democratic primary for Kentucky 6th Congressional district.

Democrats face steep odds in November’s general election; Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District has leaned heavily Republican in the past. Its incumbent, Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., last won reelection in 2024 in a 63% to 37% victory over Democratic challenger Randy Cravens.

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Barr, who has represented Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District since 2013, is pursuing a seat in the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy of outgoing former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

McConnell, 84, is retiring.