Julie Smith-Morrow’s campaign for Kentucky State Senate offers new solutions to growing jobs and families in the Commonwealth

By Vicki Prichard, Political and Media consultant

Like many women, Julie Smith-Morrow masterfully multi-tasks.  She’s a vice president of the Cincinnati-based Freestore Foodbank; holds a doctorate in plant genetics; is an elected school board member; and a wife, mother and grandmother.  She’s also among an increasing number of women who have added the role of candidate to their duties, aggressively campaigning for state or congressional seats.

Smith-Morrow is the Democratic candidate for the State Senate in Kentucky’s 24^th District which includes Campbell and Pendleton counties in Kentucky.  The district is located in the state’s northern region – largely conservative – which borders with Cincinnati, Ohio. Her candidacy comes at a time when many of the region’s constituents are voicing a cry for change.

“It doesn’t matter to me that Julie Smith-Morrow is a woman, but it does matter to me that she brings life work and experience that clearly shows she is the best person to be my state senator,” says Campbell County Democratic Party Chairwoman, Sue Orth.

Since 1999, Republican Katie Stine – now Senate Pro Tempore – has held the 24^th District Senate seat. Senator Stine is a legislator who Orth says has held up multiple pieces of valuable legislation in order to promote a partisan, personal agenda that is counter-productive to the needs of Kentucky citizens.

“In this time of great economic turmoil, we must have a responsive state senator who understands the difference between politics and governance.  It is imperative that the people’s work come first for the good of all Kentucky citizens,” says Orth. “Julie Smith-Morrow is a candidate that understands that job creation and protecting our citizens is far more important in building stability and opportunities for our families than anyone’s personal agenda.

Smith-Morrow earns her living by seeing to it that families have enough food to put on their table.  As a vice president of the Freestore Foodbank, she works for the regional foodbank, serving 20 counties in Northern Kentucky, Southern Ohio and Indiana, Its mission is to meet the needs of the community’s most vulnerable – families in crisis, the working poor, the unemployed and homeless.  When families come in need of food, Smith-Morrow and her colleagues also see the bigger issues that loom and assist them with finding access to health care, clothing and job skills.

While many people know Smith-Morrow as a trusted ally in combating the issues of families in crisis, what many don’t know is that there was a time in Smith-Morrow’s life when she went without health insurance and would lie awake at night worrying how, as a single mother, she would pay her bills and feed her three sons.

Life in Transition

Until she became a single mother, Smith-Morrow says she lived a “middle class life”.

Married after her sophomore year of college, Smith-Morrow worked while her husband attended graduate school.  After several moves for his career in academia, and three children later, she says she was living a “middle class life.”

“I had the luxury of staying home with my kids when they were small,” she says.

She found, however, that she was developing an increasing interest in the prevalence of hunger in America.  Eventually, she chose to pursue a course of study that would not only educate her about the prevalence of the issue, but would also teach her the means for solutions to hunger.  While in Texas, at the age of 37, she returned to college and completed her bachelor of science degree in plant studies.  She immediately began working on her PhD which she completed in 1993. It was during that time that she found herself on her own with limited financial resources and the responsibility for caring for her sons ages nine, 12 and 15.

A graduate fellowship provided her with some income but no health insurance and she spent nearly a year paying doctor’s bills for treating a broken hand.

“I remember thinking, ‘I’ve got to make the mortgage payment but all I have in my purse is lunch money for the kids,” says Smith-Morrow.  “The kind of choices I had were, ‘pay for the roof over our heads, or pay for medical bills?”

It was around that time that a friend suggested she take out student loans.

“I had $20,000 in debt and I made monthly payments of $248 for ten years,” says Smith-Morrow.

She says the fear she felt during those years was something she never wanted her children or anyone else to endure.

“That experience, combined with my formal education, really cemented my understanding of the plight of many Americans,” says Smith-Morrow.

Upon completion of her studies, she accepted a faculty position at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center where she received health insurance and a regular salary.

“But there was something missing,” says Smith-Morrow.  That “something” was serving her community.  She began writing grant proposals for the South Plains Food Bank in Lubbock, Texas.  From there she went to Goodwill Industries and her work with nonprofits was a fit that worked for her.

“My mother was always involved in church and community activies so I grew up believing that you were supposed to give back and serve in some way,” says Smith-Morrow.

Inspiration also came from her grandparents who made their living as farmers.  Her academic achievements – studies in crop science, biotechnology and plant genetics – opened her eyes to new possibilities to sustain families with ample food and job creation that she maintains will have a positive impact on Americans as well as the environment.

Growing new jobs in Kentucky

Smith-Morrow believes that people increasingly have to work too hard for too little.  Families are struggling, she says, and good jobs that sustain families are shrinking.  The way she sees it, the role of the public servant is to answer the best interests of his or her community, not the party line.

“Our leaders are failing to focus on job creation,” says Smith-Morrow.  “I promise to not turn down any opportunity to provide jobs for the citizens of the 24^th District.”

In fact, she has some very specific ideas on opportunities.

“Kentucky has tremendous natural resources and we need creative, strong leadership to push us forward,” says Smith-Morrow.  “I have ideas that will strengthen our economy; ideas that include clean biotech development, innovative agriculture that includes alternative uses for traditional crops, vegetables and agritourism,”

For a state long known for producing tobacco, Smith-Morrow sees new opportunities for farmers who are transitioning from the post-tobacco quota buyout economy.  While the agricultural landscape has changed, she sees other options, among them growing tobacco plants under biotechnological means to produce compounds in the plant that are similar to petroleum-based products.

Smith-Morrow also sees vast potential in Kentucky’s agritourism industry, where working farms and other agribusinesses are destinations for enjoyment and education.  The industry allows people to better understand the skill and hard work that goes into producing food.

“Rural communities want to preserve their rural lifestyle,” says Smith-Morrow.  “I come from a long line of farmers and I know first hand the value of hard work.”

“A hungry child can’t learn, and an uneducated person can’t earn.”

“A basic tenet I live by is, “a hungry child can’t learn, and an uneducated person can’t earn,” says Smith-Morrow.

Much of her campaign focus includes meeting basic human needs and education.

“I believe everyone should have opportunities to become successful and have happy, productive lives,” says Smith-Morrow.

Michael Brandt, superintendent of Newport Independent Schools in Kentucky, describes Smith-Morrow as a crucial member of their team.

“She is a community and business leader and her experience and wisdom show through at all times. She is analytical as well as compassionate. She studies issues thoroughly and meets with the administration to clarify issues or become more acquainted with them, “ says Brandt.  “She values education as well as helping us start programs for children in need. She was instrumental in starting our Power Pack weekend food program as well as Kids Cafe afterschool hot meal program.”

As an elected member of the Newport Independent School Board in Newport, Kentucky, Smith-Morrow is concerned about the vulnerability of local school districts that face increase struggles to manage their finances.

In April, when the Kentucky Senate ended the session without passing a budget, Smith-Morrow said they “left schools in a lurch.,” and placed the responsibility to fund education and provide a working budget squarely at the feet of Senate leadership.

“If you quit, go home and don’t do your job, I could hardly call that leadership,” says Smith-Morrow.

Newport Independent School District’s $21 million budget is primarily funded by state funding of up to 35 percent.  Brandt believes that Smith-Morrow is the right person to confront the budget issues that plague Kentucky schools.

“Newport, like all Kentucky districts, is suffering from without a state budget for next year,” says Brandt. “This could be extremely problematic for all Kentucky schools.  Julie has an in-depth knowledge of Kentucky school finance and would be a tireless worker for children. Her business background would allow her to bring untold resources to the table. Her leadership style would enable her to work on both sides of the aisle in Frankfort.”

Opportunities, not Obstruction

Smith-Morrow says the citizens of the 24^th District have gone far too long without their voices being heard in Frankfort.

“I’m running for the Kentucky Senate because I work to create opportunities.  I have the proven ability to see to it that families can put food on their tables and send their children to good schools,” says Smith-Morrow.