Former vice mayor Jim Gray has announced plans to run for unemployment in 2018. His backup plan is becoming congressman for the 6th Congressional District. Gray recycled his 2016 Senate campaign video to announce his Congressional run. A partial clip from the video shows Gray mouthing the name “Rand Paul” while “Andy Barr” is obviously dubbed over it.
“Jim has the runs again,” said the former vice mayor’s personal physician Dr. Ronald Effinger. “He gets like this every couple years.” The doctor told Gray to drink plenty of fluids and spend millions of dollars on his own campaign. “Take two of these and call them in the morning,” Dr. Effinger added, handing the former vice mayor the business cards of a couple of lobbyists.
Gray believes his experience creating traffic in Lexington will help with gridlock in Washington. He also thinks his Congressional run could be put some fire back in his senate campaign. His platform is based around a Five CentrePointe plan that he says won’t be open to the public for at least another decade.
The former vice mayor has learned a lot since his loss to Rand Paul, according to campaign staff. “Kentucky just wasn’t ready for an openly Gray politician to lead them,” said campaign manager Mike Breckinridge. “But a lot has changed in the last year. For instance, my great-great-great-great grandfather’s statue isn’t at Cheapside anymore. And I’m totally okay with that. Really.”
The democratic primary running field is already crowded with former Marine Corps fighter pilot Amy McGrath, state senator Reggie Thomas, and that dog from Raising Cane’s. When McGrath heard the news about Gray entering the race she said, “He’s really just running away from his problems at this point, isn’t he? Jim, you can run for senate or house or mayor, but you can’t run away from that pit in the middle of your city.”
Critics say Jim Gray just wants to lose one more race before running for governor. Freelance political consultant Eric Dawson said, “Jim Gray is turning into your annoying friend who’s always posting their recent runs on Facebook. We’re all glad you exercise, dude, but enough is enough.” Dawson had more to add but his smoke break at Starbucks ended.