Andrew Thomas Monarch
For State House Representative - District 58
Shelby County, KY
As a 34 year old working-class father, a local civic leader, and an eighth-generation Kentuckian, my stance here is simple: I'm tired of career politicians holding working-families back. Folks in Shelby County shouldn't have to wonder whether or not hard work will still be able to provide a stable, dignified life in the community we grew up in.
From groceries and healthcare to housing and education, rising costs are getting out of hand for everyday Kentuckians. When basic needs start getting out of reach, something has to budge. So I believe it's time to set aside corporate special interests, tune out the partisan rhetoric and return our Government to the people.
About Andrew
Family is who I am. I've been happily married for ten years, am blessed with an awesome kid and fortunate enough to live down the road from my folks. At 34 years old I'm the oldest of three siblings and on my best days, I’m just a Dad fixing something around the house or a big brother helping out. Either way, we aren't a complicated bunch!
With a B.A. in Political Science from UofL I've built my career well outside of politics in leadership roles spanning from Kentucky agriculture to international aviation. Along the way, I’ve gained experience solving complex challenges in industries that, by law and character, demand accountability, foresight, and integrity. More importantly, I’ve learned that quality leadership begins with actually hearing people. Not just listening, but hearing folks and treating them with the dignity, empathy, and respect they deserve.
With those principles at my core, I was elected Chair of the local Democratic party last year where we've been hard at work modernizing infrastructure, listening to voters and giving a voice to those who need it most. We're not a complicated bunch over there either! If you don't believe me, honestly, just come to one of our monthly meetings!
At the end of day, I have a commitment as a dedicated father to lead by example and it's my most important job. Which means leading with honesty, transparency and integrity.
The Actual Haps of Shelby County, Kentucky
Healthcare
Our local hospital has been operating at a loss of $4 million a year since 2021.
From July to Nov. 2025, has lost more than $3 million - All while the average cost of health insurance sits around 15% of our median household income. Y'all, that's not going to work. Access to specialized care is only going to shrink and we need to act, now.
Education
Public education is still under attack all while AI & automation are changing the workforce faster than we can keep up. Instead of focusing on ways to get public money into private institutions or trying to convince us "inclusion" is a bad thing, we need to focus supporting our educators & maximizing accessibility for every income level and modernizing our programs .The resources we put into education should match today’s economy, not yesterday’s talking points.
Cost of Living
The bottom line is we're pricing our kids out of a future and the cost for basic is dramatically outpacing pay raises. Since 2020, Federal Reserve Economic Data shows typical home prices in Shelby County have increased by more than 43% .Grocery prices have risen by roughly 28% and healthcare costs up to 15% of median household income (if you're healthy). Meanwhile - wages are flat with only an increase of 1-2%.