Justy Engle
Personal
Contact
Justy Engle (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Kentucky State Senate to represent District 16. She did not appear on the ballot for the general election on November 8, 2022.
Engle completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Justy Engle was born in Louisville, Kentucky. Engle's professional experience includes working as an associate professor of English, faculty athletics representative, high school teacher, and librarian. She earned a bachelor's degree, graduate degree, and Ph.D. from the University of Louisville in 2008, 2009, and 2016, respectively.[1]
Engle has been affiliated with Order of the Common Life, Evangelical Spiritual Directors Association, Kentucky Philological Association, and Daughters of the American Revolution.[1]
Elections
2022
See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2022
General election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Justy Engle advanced from the Democratic primary for Kentucky State Senate District 16.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Max Wise advanced from the Republican primary for Kentucky State Senate District 16.
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Justy Engle completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Engle's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Justy is a lifelong Kentuckian and the 10th generation of her family to call central Kentucky home. She is a single parent to one daughter, Selah, and they share their home with a dog named Bufurd that they adopted from a rescue on Valentine’s Day 2020. As the daughter of a pastor and granddaughter of another pastor, she had the opportunity to see how we can come alongside our neighbors even—and especially—when things get messy in life. She is the first woman in her family to earn a Ph.D. and could not have done so without the support of her community. She studied Humanities at the University of Louisville and focused on Aesthetics and Creativity because she knows how vital the arts are to understanding our human experience. She loves hearing the stories of the people she meets and knows that one way change happens is by valuing and accepting our own stories, and often the best way to start is through sharing our stories with others. As a professor, she has heard stories from students from around the world and loves watching them grow into their dreams for their future. She loves Kentucky and knows that its natural landscape and big-small-town feel make it a wonderful place to raise a family. Justy wants to see Kentuckians demonstrate leadership for other states to follow as we encourage people to become the best versions of themselves.
- I believe all people have a right to access quality education regardless of income.
- I believe Kentucky needs to be a model for ethical business practices and should be a forerunner in creating practical, sustainable models for all types of businesses.
- I believe we should protect the land and animals that have been entrusted into our care.
Education, food, healthcare, and sustainable and ethical economic policy
I believe an elected official must maintain transparency, constantly seek the best possible outcomes for all constituents, and continually ask and consider the beliefs, opinions and needs of their constituents.
I am a quick learner, adept at reading and understanding lots of information quickly (essential for those long bills!); I can quickly see both sides of an argument and help determine best paths forward for the betterment of all parties (mediation is essential as we learn to work together instead of leaning into partisan roles); I listen and value the people with whom I speak (we must value all people in all parts of the process and not seek to other or vilify anyone, but rather seek to see each individual as a valuable person who we can learn from, perhaps especially when we disagree).
I want people to see that there are alternate ways of being and living, that we don't have to keep doing things the same way we've always done them just because we've always done them that way, that we can challenge the status quo and help all people of all backgrounds move forward. I want my legacy to be one of hope for the future.
I remember on September 6, 1995 when Orioles Baseball player Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's record for most consecutive baseball games played in the MLB. I was 8 years old at the time, and there was something so significant about watching this man play the sport he loved, and continue to show up every single day. That stuck with me. He wasn't the best, but he loved it, and it was so important to him that he couldn't imagine not showing up, so he just showed up over and over. I didn't realize it then, but I was drawn to that idea of consistency and have grown to become that kind of person in my own life. I may not always be the best at something, but if I love it, I want to keep showing up. I hope I can keep showing up for the people in my life, no matter what.
Lately I've been loving Flannery O'Connor's The Habit of Being. It's a collection of her letters, and I love seeing the thought process of someone who is struggling with faith and life and the question of pain (she had severe pain much of her life). It's a fascinating read, and I appreciate being able to read her honest thoughts that she shared with her closest friends.
Ten years ago I was struggling through college, pregnant, on WIC and didn't know how I would possibly have enough money or resources to adequately feed myself and my baby. My church community came alongside me, and every time my pantry was empty and I didn't know how I was going to eat, someone showed up with a meal or called and invited me for dinner. Seeing the church do the work gave me renewed hope in a faith I had struggled with, and it helped me to believe that I was loved and cared for. In my worst and most difficult time, when things in my life were messiest, people showed up for me and helped me believe I was valuable. I had always struggled with my value and identity before, and having people demonstrate love in a practical way when I was at my lowest point in life helped me see a path forward. Now , my daughter is ten, I have a degree and a good job, and we aren't hungry. I'm finally in a position to help others and love them the way that I was loved.
Not necessarily, as I think it's important for people with experience and people without to come together and see all sides of the issues. If a person has always been in government or politics, it can be easy to become calloused or blind to certain areas. Having voices and ideas from the outside, from people who have no previous experience, can be vital in finding creative ways forward for long-standing issues.
I think redistricting should be done geographically so that the representatives are close to their constituents and don't have to travel through other districts to reach their constituents. It should be about making sure demographics are accurately represented and the redistricting does not privilege one kind of voice over the others.
If we understand compromise as meaning reaching agreement, then absolutely! We must mediate the concerns of both sides and make the choices that are best for all people.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
External links
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on April 15, 2022
Leadership
Senate President:Robert Stivers
Majority Leader:Max Wise
Minority Leader:Gerald Neal
Senators
Republican Party (32)
Democratic Party (6)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
