Kentucky State Senate District 34 candidate surveys, 2022

Elections in Kentucky, 2022

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This article shows responses from candidates in the 2022 election for Kentucky State Senate District 34 who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

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• Click here to see Candidate Connection survey responses.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for Kentucky State Senate District 34

Incumbent Jared Carpenter defeated Susan Cintra in the general election for Kentucky State Senate District 34 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jared Carpenter (R)	59.1	25,049
		Susan Cintra (D)	40.9	17,322

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 42,371
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

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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.

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Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Susan Cintra (D)

Public Education for our Families: Universal Pre-K, Addressing the Teacher Shortage, Funding Public Schools

The Well-Being of Our People: Addiction Aid, Affordable, Equitable, and Accessible Healthcare, Medical Marijuana

Investments in Our People and Community: Living Wage, Right to Organize, Accessible and Affordable Broadband

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Susan Cintra (D)

Susan believes that the vast majority of our issues can be solved through education and thus we must invest in our public education systems so that our future is not only sustainable but thriving. She knows the power of how education can change the life of a child and how that life can go on to change the lives of others for the better. Investing in our public schools, rethinking how our education policies can be improved and how we can create the best public education system to prepare students for a world that is ever changing must be our priority. But none of that happens when we demonize our educators, cut our funding, and micromanage curriculum. Susan looks forward to developing and supporting policies that work best for our children long term.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Susan Cintra (D)

My parents...my dad had crazy dreams and my mom supported him through them all. After spending years in the music industry with our family business of Taulbee Music Center, my dad had a crazy idea to close it down and open another business he had no experience in; the amusement industry. My mom, without hesitation, supported him in that effort and together they made that dream a reality when we opened Krazy Kart Family Fun Park. My dad designed and built with his own hands the go-cart track, the mini-golf course, the bumper boat pool, and the kid's track. My mom designed and organized the concession stand and arcade and hundreds of birthday parties we had. We never made a lot of money on the business, just enough to make it, but because they dared to dream and supported each other through those dreams, my sister and I had one of the coolest childhood experiences. We met people from all different walks of life, we saw what struggle and determination can build, and we learned to never walk away from our dreams. I hope to live a life like they did, one where fear doesn't hold me back and I can dare to dream.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Susan Cintra (D)

The first historical event I can remember was when the Challenger exploded. I was only 5 at the time, but I remember listening to my parents discuss it and how upsetting it was, I remember hearing about the o-rings, and I remember going to a museum with my dad and he bought me a poster of the Discovery taking off, the next shuttle after the tragedy of the Challenger. I always had it in my room as a reminder of that things don't always go as planned, but that doesn't mean you stop trying. You always have to learn from our failures, even through tragedy, and keep moving forward.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Susan Cintra (D)

My very first job was at my parent's go-cart track, Krazy Karts Family Fun Park. I started working there in the summer when I was 13 and worked there every summer until we closed it when I was 21. I also worked for Sonny's Real-Pit Bar-b-que in high school and Arlington Country Club and Days Inn Hotel in college.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Susan Cintra (D)

The governor and state legislature should be balances for each other. Regardless of which parties are in power, doing what's best for the people of this state is what has to be at the forefront of every action and all too often that is not what's happening. Power grabs on any side threaten the balance of the system and that balance must be maintained for the betterment of our people.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Susan Cintra (D)

The greatest challenge we face is repairing the damage to the education system that has been intentionally caused by our legislature and former governor. Trying to stop the slow bleed of their continual attacks and shifting gears so that we are supporting our students, our families, our educators, and healing the education system will be our biggest challenge. The long term impacts of the havoc being reaped on public education right now have not yet begun to be felt. Bracing for that while trying to stop the damage and shift directions, must be a priority for us all, lest this state will have a difficult future.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Susan Cintra (D)

Absolutely. For too long now we, the people of this Commonwealth, have been the victims of polarizing politics. We deserve more than that and all of us have our own unique experiences that shape our view on the world. Those experiences are valid and as a leader, it is our job to listen and understand those experiences and figure out how we find the commonality in those views rather than preying on the differences and using those to divide us. As a teacher, I have built relationships with students from all different backgrounds and with all different perspectives and while we may not see eye to eye all the time, because we respect each other and are able to have difficult conversations, we remain invested in finding common ground and working from there. This is something that is totally lost on our current politicians, and I would go so far as to say intentionally so...they know, but they are too successful at dividing us and because division promotes their agenda, they choose not to do better.

See also

More about these elections:

• Kentucky State Senate elections, 2022

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