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Gray Courts Campaign Support From Business Sector

Josh James
/
WUKY

Lexington Mayor and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jim Gray is looking to the business community for support in his bid to unseat freshmen Republican Sen. Rand Paul in the fall.

Business plays a key role in Gray’s pitch to Kentucky voters. As the one-time CEO of Gray Construction, the Senate hopeful often cites that private sector experience as evidence of his ability to solve problems and bring different groups together.

To that end Thursday, Gray unveiled a bipartisan group of backers dubbed Business Leaders for Gray.

"I've had the pleasure of working with many of Kentucky's top business leaders throughout my career, both through Gray Construction and as mayor of Lexington," he told WUKY. "I'm humbled to have the support of these dedicated men and women who have done so many good things for Kentucky, for our workforce, and for our economy."

Gray recently released his jobs plan, which focuses on infrastructure repair, access to small business loans, and education as economic drivers.

Meanwhile, Sen. Paul has been drumming up support through a series of town halls across the state. Paul points to government over-regulation and high taxes as the main obstacles for business in the bluegrass state.

Business Leaders for Gray members include:
Don Baker, CEO of Green Mechanical
Ann Bakhaus, President of Kentucky Eagle
Ray Ball, President of Ball Homes
Mike Bellissimo, VP of Humana
Alex Boone, Owner of Sterling Ventures
Stephen Campbell, Entrepreneur
John Cirigliano, CEO of Clearbrook Companies
Glen Combs, CEO of SDGBlue
Sean Garber, CEO of Algar, INC
Ed Holmes, President of EHI Consultants
Henry Jackson, Chairman of Jackson Industries
Masood Kheradmand, President of Green Mechanical
Robert Langley, CEO of Langley Properties
Bruce Lunsford, CEO of Lunsford Capital
Jeff Markowitz, COO of Maketime 
Lois Mateus, Retired Executive of Brown-Forman
Drura Parish, CEO of Maketime
Freddy Peralta, Owner of KYTrade Computer Services
Tim Peters, President of Peters Construction Company
Stephen Reily, Entrepreneur
Brent Rice, Attorney of MMLK, PLC
Warren Rosenthal, Founder of Long John Silvers
Craig Turner, CEO of CRM Companies
Don Wenzel, Director of JP Morgan Chase
Holly Wiedemann, President of AU Associates
Jill Wilson, VP of Gray Construction
Ed Worley, Entrepreneur

Josh James fell in love with college radio at Western Kentucky University's student station, New Rock 92 (now Revolution 91.7). After working as a DJ and program director, he knew he wanted to come home to Lexington and try his hand in public radio.
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