There’s a new politician on the scene in Northern Kentucky, though he’s not yet keen on calling himself that. Jesse Brewer, 39, has thrown his hat in the ring to take over Kentucky’s Fourth Congressional District. Come November 2026, Brewer wants to unseat incumbent Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, and he thinks he can. Brewer is determined to win over a district that touches 21 counties — approximately 700,000 people — and to oust Massie from his 12-year congressional streak. He’s doing it all with only four full-time campaign volunteers.
Brewer grew up in Gallatin and Pendleton counties as a Boy Scout and band kid, learning to love the rural parts — and the people — of Kentucky. In a sit-down interview with CityBeat, Brewer said these people deserve to be represented by a “real” Kentuckian, one who’s “damn mad.” These are the same people who Brewer said stood by him when he came out as bisexual, battled cancer and announced that he would run as a Democrat in a red state — challenges and differences be damned.
During our interview, Brewer remained focused on the common denominator between himself and those he’s trying to represent, even flashing a glimpse of his mobile banking account, which held only $400 in campaign funds.
“It’s not a secret that I’m literally the poorest person running for an office.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
CityBeat: Your campaign website says you’re really into flower gardening – do you have a favorite flower?
Jesse Brewer: I totally am. A fuchsia: I’ve got one hanging out next to my hammock, and it’s got the nice pink and purple blooms on it. It just brings the hummingbirds around, brings a lot of life and color.
CB: What do you think it just means to be a gardener, not only with plants, but in life, too?
JB: As a gardener, you’re tending to things that other people may consider small and may never even see, but you tend to the small details, the things that actually do matter. Because plants do matter, trees do matter, and the flowers and the colors they [produce] give life to other things.
It truly means working and giving your time, because time is important and nobody has enough of it. And when you actually spend hours and hours and hours every summer working in your little flower garden, it cleanses the soul.
CB: Do you think that those skills and insights that you’ve learned through gardening have lent themselves to who you are as an aspiring politician?
JB: Yes, totally. I want to take those same concepts, and I guess I’ve never really thought about it until you brought it to light. I mean, you take those same concepts and you put it into the real world.
I’m focused on the real Kentuckians, the ones that are the small little flowers that most people miss. I know that they’re out there and I know that they have to be watered daily, otherwise the sun’s going to dry them out and kill them. So you have to really tend to all the small things.
CB: If you don’t like the term aspiring politician for yourself, how would you describe what you are currently?
JB: I’m just a guy that’s damn mad.
CB: What are you ‘damn mad’ about?
JB: So, with my cancer journey, the insurance company that I had through my employer told me that I was not going to live long enough to get treatment. So you have to live more than two years to be able to get immunotherapy and they denied me. So needless to say, I don’t think that’s an acceptable response.
Nobody should have to hear those words, because last August I was told that I would not live to see Christmas.
It’s the healthcare. We have to find a way to make it so that it’s feasible and realistic for everyday people, real Kentuckians, with the capital REAL.
But ultimately, what I really want to focus on are the kitchen table issues and conversations. So the price of eggs and gasoline, those are the typical things that are coming up this year. In my opinion, eggs, even if they rose a dollar per dozen and you only eat a dozen a week, which is a lot for me, then that’s only a difference of $52. But when you’ve got a larger family or you have a larger need for eggs, that can add up.
It really is important to us, that few cents at the pump does matter to a lot of people.
CB: You’ve said your campaign pillars are empathy, unity and progress. Why did you choose those specific words to base this entire campaign around?
JB: My first PET [Positron Emission Tomography] scan was this March, and that’s when I said, great, I’m not going to die. What am I going to do with my life?
And the more that I’ve worked with “empathy, humanity, progress,” the more that I can see how important each of those pillars are, and if anybody cannot get behind those three, then there’s no reason for us to talk.
If you don’t have empathy, you and I are not on the same page in the slightest. You got to feel passion in the unity side of it as a leader. That’s what I’ve done for decades, and I want to bring us together. If you don’t want to bring people together, that means you’re bringing people apart — you don’t need any more of that in the country. And the last thing is progress: we want to move forward. What does forward mean? ‘Cause it means different things to different people. And that’s where I want to refine, I guess. I’m not the smartest person in the room at all times, and if I am, I need to get a bigger room. I recognize that. I want to hear what other people consider progress. Then I can take that to Washington.
I’m not running any Democratic playbook at all. I’m running a Jesse Playbook. I’m not a politician. I’m doing in my heart what I know to be right. If I don’t win, I’m still going to make enough ripples to make an effect somewhere.
CB: What were some of the initial reactions in your community and your family when you said you wanted to run for Congress?
JB: Jesse’s Angels is a group of ladies in my community. They helped take care of me when I couldn’t take care of myself. Those ladies got my meds. They’d come over and visit me. They’d bring me food. Bobby even is one of them, who knew that I also suffered from depression, just like the rest of us in the world. She would come over and bang on my door and get me out of bed at noon because she knew that I would need to get up. Those are true friends when they’re looking out for you.
They were super supportive. More than half of them identify as Republican, which is incredible. And I’m the farthest thing from a Republican, I would say. And to actually sit down and have the discussions of why are you a Republican — why are you running on the Democratic ticket? And then let’s find the common bond and find out we’re really not that different. And I knew that all along — you just got to haul it out of people. They don’t have the hate in their hearts that MAGA does.
CB: You mentioned the struggle with medical costs after cancer on your website. Do you think you’re at a campaign funding disadvantage compared to Massie because he has a number of donors and PACs behind him?
JB: It’s not a secret that I’m literally the poorest person running for an office. I would say, like, flat-out poorest person. I’ve taken all of my savings in life just to survive through cancer.
I say that because I’m at a huge disadvantage, but that’s not gonna deter me. I am so focused on making a difference that I don’t care that I don’t have any income other than SSI, which is pennies to begin with. I care that I can make a difference for people.
I’m confident that being a real Kentuckian will pay off this term, the pendulum is swinging back, and seeing a good old boy from Kentucky, no matter how flamboyant I am, I think that they can get behind that.
CB: What makes you different from the past Democratic candidates who have tried to win as a Democrat in a red state?
JB: Previous candidates were not as strong in their backstory. I’m living my cancer nightmare. I don’t have any money. I can relate to people so much more because I’m a real Kentuckian and I’m fighting the same struggle. They know that I will fight for their same struggles as well.
This is all that I’m doing, other than being a full-time student at NKU graduating in December. This is literally it. I’m fully focused here.
CB: I’m sure you know that President Trump has attacked your opponent Massie on social media for his efforts to release the Epstein files. He said, “Looking for someone good to run against this guy, someone I can endorse.” Is this person you?
JB: If Trump wanted to write me a check for $10,000 or $10, I would happily accept. I’m running as a Democrat. I’m not dumb. I’ll take the money, but it doesn’t mean that I support anything that he says or does.
But at the end of the day, it’s all publicity, and you have to be able to see through the smoke, and I recognize that. Will this matter in a month? No. Will it matter this time next year? No. Trump will have moved on from Massie to somebody else, and that’s fine, and I’ll let them do their thing. But for right now, I’m just gonna continue on giving my message, my positive message of empathy, unity, progress, and moving forward. Leave their drama to the side, continue on the focus and take the high road.
CB: If you had one question you would want Massie to answer, what would it be?
JB: Why will you not respond to your constituents? People call and email and they can’t seem to get a response. It’s a, “Thanks for your email” from his secretary.
There’s a lot of people calling every day because they’re mad and they can’t get a response. So, yeah, it’s a big ordeal to not get communication. And I love to communicate. Communication takes two people and you can’t communicate when one person doesn’t respond.
CB: How are you seeing the impacts of Trump’s One Big Beautiful bill on your district so far?
JB: The biggest thing is going to be the hospitals that are impacted; there are 35 in Kentucky. The two that are on my radar right now are County Memorial Hospital in Carrollton and UofL Hospital in Shelbyville. Those are the two that I’m really focused on spending time with, understanding why they’re impacted directly from their mouth, and how we can overcome it.
We can bitch and complain all day long, but it’s already done. So now, how do we reverse that? Do we open up more services that are funded differently? Instead of somebody having a heart attack and driving them an hour and 10 minutes to UC or Saint Elizabeth, are there other alternatives? Other doctors in the area, maybe smaller clinics or something critical that way? And that’s where we have to be creative and think outside the box until we can get this reversed and things changed.
CB: Do you have anyone helping you out on your campaign?
JB: I have very few people now. I have no campaign manager. I’m doing it all myself. Campaign managers are like eight grand a month and you saw what I’m working with in that bank account. It’s just not happening.
This article appears in Jul 23 – Aug 5, 2025.