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Berea native Mark Gailey announces his ballot certified candidacy for Kentucky’s 6^th U.S. District Congressman following his spring nomination at the Kentucky Libertarian annual business convention. Gailey has most recently run for state house in the 36^th district drawing seven and a half percent in a two-way race. He has mounted symbolic write-in campaigns in 1992 and 1996 for the 6^th U.S. district and in 1998 for the state house.

Gailey faces incumbent Ernie Fletcher, but Democrat Roy Cornett has withdrawn, leaving the seat uncontested by the two-party system. Gatewood Galbraith has also filed to run as an independent, leaving behind the nomination from the Reform Party. The Galbraith camp has already made overtures for Gailey to withdraw based on the alleged similarity of positions, stating in a news conference that he couldn’t win in a three-way race. Gailey has declined to step down, intent to portray Galbraith as a stealth tax-and-spend candidate and anything but a libertarian.

Gailey, a Constitutional Conservationist, will hold Congress to their oath of office, and every word of the constitution. He will reclaim the freedom and liberties plundered by the USA PATRIOT Act and Homeland Defense.

Gailey’s opponents are adequately qualified to represent privileged occupations like trial attorneys and corporate elite like pharmaceutical companies. Gailey, however, is the most qualified candidate to represent the common man, woman and young person.

Gailey, a Libertarian Party member since 1980, lobbied Frankfort for open elections through the late eighties. A "Contract Citizen", Gailey is a small business owner specializing in the megatrends "service" industry. His most recent business focus has been on domestic home and landscaping support and top-quality all-American product sales in cutlery, industrial lubricants and empowerment tools. He is formerly an Income Tax Return Preparer, retail manager and communications technician.

Gailey holds a broadcast degree from Eastern Kentucky University and is a Berea Community High Graduate. Gailey has studied Income Tax law paraprofessionally from H & R Block, EKU Business College and the Save-A-Patriot Fellowship.

Nationally, Libertarians ran candidates in more than half of all congressional districts in election year 2000, a feat not accomplished by a third party since early in the last century. They are on the way to repeating that feat for a second cycle in a row, with Kentucky filing in the 2^nd, 4^th and 6^th districts.