Townsend wins Democrat candidacy for District 36 state Representative seat
Anderson’s housing authority director will be the Democratic candidate for the district 36 state representative seat in Madison County. IPR’s Thomas Ouellette reports.
Audio Transcript
Kim Townsend defeated her primary opponent Nouhad Melki by more than 3,000 votes. She credited her win to her close connection to the Madison County community.
“These people have been very committed and they’ve sacrificed a lot because they believe in me,” she said. “So, I would say the strength of the team and the support from the community is making me a very viable candidate. We plan to win.”
She’ll face Republican incumbent Kyle Pierce in November, who has held the seat since 2022 after defeating a 10-term Democrat.
Townsend says her campaign will focus on bringing voices to the Statehouse and addressing everyday concerns over things like affordability, rising housing costs, and healthcare infrastructure.
Townsend currently serving as the Executive Director of the Anderson Housing Authority, part of a long career in public service. She says she fully intends on keeping her position at the Housing Authority if she wins the legislative seat.
Prior to the election, Townsend’s campaign faced a federal Hatch Act challenge, complaining that she was running for state representative while being employed at the Housing Authority, which receives federal grants. According to the US government, the Hatch Act limits certain political activities of federal employees. That includes being allowed to hold partisan political office. The challenge was denied, allowing Townsend to continue working at the Housing Authority and serve as a state representative should she win in the midterm election.
Thomas Ouellette is our reporter and producer. Contact him at thomas.ouellette@bsu.edu
