Owensboro native and 2007 Owensboro High School graduate Kelsey Hayes Coots announced her run for state auditor Thursday. Hayes Coots is currently a teacher in the Jefferson County School System and has actively spoken against the pension bill, leading Jefferson County for Kentucky 120 United.
“I’m running for auditor because I love our Commonwealth and we cannot allow corruption to hold us back any longer,” Hayes Coots said in a Facebook post after signing the paperwork to run for office. “I’m running because Kentuckians deserve a passionate watchdog of their tax dollars. And I’m running because Kentucky simply cannot afford another four years of passive leadership.”
Hayes Coots said government accountability is one of her main concerns, leading her to run for auditor.
“I’m a teacher. I’m a union member. I’m a Democrat who believes that government works best when it works for the people and not the just the powerful,” Hayes Coots wrote. “I’m part of a new generation with the desire to transform our home. We will build a stronger public education system and create more good jobs so that every Kentuckian can live up to their God-given potential.”
Owensboro High School teacher Lori Thurman said Hayes Coots has always had a heart for serving others. Thurman said her former student served in student government at OHS and the University of Kentucky.
“Kelsey is a servant leader and I know she will serve with integrity,” Thurman said. “As her AP Government teacher, I could not be more proud and hope that others in the state will take the opportunity to get to know her character and love for Kentucky.”
