86th District: Corbin City Commissioner David Hart ready to move from city to state government

(Story By Jeff Ledington, The Mountain Advocate)

David Hart is 40 year old Corbin City Commissioner in his second term, now looking to move on to the state house. Hart believes his experience in government makes him an ideal candidate to represent the district.

Hart lives in the Knox County portion of Corbin and owns to motorsports shops in Middlesboro and Somerset. Hart feels Jim Stewart’s retirement is a chance “to bring my skills and leadership I’ve brought to the city to the district.”

Hart is a proponent of cutting government spending and spoke highly of the budget surplus Corbin has achieved during his tenure. “We’ve paved more roads in the city of Corbin in the last four years than has ever been done,” he said. He added the surplus has also allowed the building of a new park and splash pad, things hart calls “quality of life projects.” Hart says he will push for smaller government in Frankfort.

Hart wants to see more development of the regional economy. “Something all the way from Pulaski County to Bell County,” he stated. He stated that all the cities in the area working together instead of in competition would benefit everyone.

Hart wants to be the “strong voice who gets as much as we can” for the district. He spoke about securing more money for roads and infrastructure, citing Knox County’s many gravel roads. “If you don’t have a good infrastructure it’s hard to recruit jobs to come here,” he continued. He added that jobs are also looking for good schools and healthcare, they’re looking for the whole picture.”

Hart feels his 20 years of experience and four years in politics separates him from his competition. He stressed that his experience with a budget as a business owner is a major advantage he would bring to the house. He called out “wasteful” government spending and stated he could find ways to save money.

Hart stated he’s glad the state has been cautiously optimistic regarding the coronavirus pandemic and that the response likely prevented a larger problem “if it’s as bad as they say it is.” Continuing, “We’ve been fairly lucky,” he said regarding cases in the district.

Hart says he will focus on making sure the district gets its fair share in Frankfort and that he will make sure the district isn’t hurt too much from the budget shortfall caused by the pandemic. “We need someone to fight for our area to make sure they don’t cut us deeper than anybody else,” he said.

“I want to be the voice of the people,” Hart says. He added he will vote for what the majority wants “even if I don’t like it.” He stressed he will be transparent and that he’s “not putting any personal agenda out there.”