BREAK THE MACHINE. RECLAIM KENTUCKY.

The Platform & Blueprint of Jonathan Hay for Governor Where I Come From: I was raised in St. Matthews, the eastern suburb of Louisville, Kentucky. I wasn’t handed anything. My life was forged in real-world trials and survival, not talking points. My family is part of the foundation of Southeast Christian Church. It began with a small group of charter members, and under the leadership of my grandfather and my uncle it grew into one of the largest megachurches in America. Faith and community were my first education in what it means to build something that lasts. That background inspired my own spiritual journey. We will work alongside Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders, while drawing on our legendary local Southern Baptist infrastructure. Today, I am proud to partner with Mr. Sugarman, a respected leader in the Jewish community and the great-grandson of a Lubavitcher, who has built strong, lasting relationships across Louisville’s diverse populations. I learned early on that no single congregation owns the Commonwealth’s conscience. We share it. The Champion Who Taught Me How to Fight: Every Kentuckian knows the name. Long before the world called him Muhammad Ali, he was a kid from Louisville with a bicycle, a big voice, and a bigger belief in himself. He grew up to be the Greatest of All Time. He showed us how to fight in the ring and outside it, and how to use our voices loudly when the world wanted us quiet. He stood up when it cost him everything, and he spoke when speaking was dangerous. He proved that a man from Kentucky could shake the whole world. He is my biggest inspiration, and the fighter’s spirit he gave us runs through everything I do. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. That is how I move. I am light on my feet when it comes to listening, building bridges, and bringing people together, and I hit hard when it comes to corruption, abuse, and the powerful who think they are untouchable. The Builder: My national story begins with John Houston Entertainment, led by Whitney Houston’s father, John Houston, and his partner Kevin Skinner. From that arena I went far beyond writing the original press release. I orchestrated the aggressive, ground-level public relations campaigns and strategic media blueprints that launched Rihanna when she was still an unknown artist. That work built the foundation for the global billionaire icon she is today. Back home, I worked side by side with multi-platinum Kentucky music heavyweights Nappy Roots and Days of the New. I know how to build powerful things from the ground up, and I know that Kentucky talent can stand on any stage in the world. Standing Up When Others Stayed Silent: In December 2012, I stepped into the national spotlight during the high-stakes legal guardianship battle of Modern Family star Ariel Winter. I had seen toxic exploitation and institutional failure inside the entertainment system. I signed a formal legal declaration and testified on behalf of a vulnerable young actress' safety and welfare because someone had to. Others stayed silent. I didn’t. Kentucky Soil, World-Class Work: In 2017, I spearheaded a massive, high-stakes creative project in Louisville centered on Drake, the artist who broke Billboard records once held by Michael Jackson and Jay-Z. I worked with Drake's closest people, Sophie Brussaux, entertainment attorney Stanton “Larry” Stein, publicist Melissa Nathan, and his manager, Future the Prince. It was executed on Kentucky soil, not on a glamorous coastal press tour. World-class work can be done in the Bluegrass State. The Night That Changed Everything: In April 2017, a violent home invasion struck my home in St. Matthews. I was ambushed, pistol-whipped, bound, and duct-taped, and I stared down absolute terror. I didn’t break. I worked with Kentucky state prosecutor Critt Cunningham, who now heads the Attorney General’s Violent Crime Reduction Team. Together we secured three convictions for kidnapping and robbery. I turned survival into a lifelong commitment to justice and accountability. I have carried those hard-earned lessons beyond Kentucky, speaking about the home invasion as a guest of Dr. Jan Yager, Adjunct Assistant Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. I know what it is to be a victim, and I know what it takes to see justice done. As Governor, I will fight for every Kentuckian who has stood where I stood. No. 1, Made in Kentucky: My roots run through Kentucky’s cultural landscape. From my home studio in St. Matthews and a second studio off Hurstborne Lane, where I worked for 20 years, I produced, arranged, co-engineered, mixed, and mastered Follow the Leader (Reimagined as Jazz) with Eric B. and Rakim. In 2019 it hit No. 1 and topped both the Billboard Jazz Albums and Contemporary Jazz Albums charts for 11 non-consecutive weeks. Golden era, pioneering hip-hop icons and a Louisville studio together reached the top of the charts. That is what Kentucky can do when it is trusted to lead. Blowing the Whistle: In December 2019, I stood at ground zero of the music industry’s dark side. I walked into the Federal Bureau of Investigation office in Louisville and blew the whistle on my former business partner in what became the first-ever streaming fraud case in history. I also directly warned the music industry media. According to the DOJ, the scheme generated streams on a scale nine times greater than Taylor Swift. It set off a viral news storm heard around the world, and it ended in a landmark federal prison sentence: 18 months, handed down in October 2026. I understand what AI can build, and I have seen what happens when it is abused. That is why I will lead Kentucky into the AI era with both vision and guardrails. Ready to Dance, and the Fight That Followed: I developed major creative projects, including Ready to Dance with The Notorious B.I.G. Estate, Bad Boy Records, and Sean Combs. The work started in Louisville and Lexington and was carried out across Brooklyn, Los Angeles, and Dallas. Incidents tied to those collaborative sessions in March 2020 and March 2021 later drew me into high-stakes legal battles over unchecked power in those circles. That involvement includes active civil litigation and formal criminal reviews involving Sean Combs, The Notorious B.I.G. Estate, Combs’ Daddy’s House Recordings, Christopher “CJ” Wallace, Willie Mack, and others. After reports were filed concerning those years, the Largo Police Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department investigated. The case was then referred to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for criminal review. I will not back down. The Blueprint: As Governor, I will bring that same unyielding grit to Frankfort: aggressive state oversight, ironclad protection for victims, and a direct, uncompromising assault on institutional corruption. My platform rests on individual liberty, complete transparency, and the aggressive modernization of state government. Freedom and Dignity: I am unapologetically pro-choice. Reproductive freedom is not a political talking point. It is a fundamental human right and a matter of basic bodily autonomy. It is her body, and it is her absolute right. I will stand shoulder to shoulder with women, working families, and healthcare advocates against every attempt to strip control away from individuals. My door will stay open to every person seeking equal treatment and absolute dignity under the law. Cannabis and Healing: We will mandate cannabis legalization to drive Kentucky agriculture and modernize our antiquated justice system. We will also pioneer state-backed clinical research, safe access, and decriminalization of alternative psychedelic therapies, including psilocybin, LSD, ketamine, DMT, and ibogaine, to treat severe post-traumatic stress disorder, deep trauma, and addiction. Kentucky’s AI Future: I will champion artificial intelligence and Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) to revolutionize and strengthen healthcare and education across the Commonwealth. I will also enforce strict, legally binding guardrails against superficial mimicry and dangerous deepfakes. AI is more than a technological tool. It is a catalyst to elevate the personal and professional lives of everyday Kentuckians. By bringing smart automation and advanced learning systems into our workforce training, small businesses, and classrooms, we can unlock unprecedented economic mobility, streamline state services, and equip our people to thrive in a changing global economy. To accelerate this transformation, I want to bring visionaries like Elon Musk to Kentucky to collaborate, invest, and help build a future-proof infrastructure. It will honor our hardworking traditions while leading the nation in technological innovation. One Commonwealth: The Bluegrass State can no longer be divided. We will listen and work together despite our religious and political differences. That commitment extends fully to the LGBTQ+ community. By locking arms with queer leaders and influencers, we will shake things up and make sure equality and dignity belong to everyone. Honoring Our Sports Icons: Whether you bleed Louisville red or Kentucky blue, our state’s greatness thrives on fierce passion. We must rise above traditional rivalries to honor the icons who built our culture and generated billions of dollars for our economy. Rick Pitino, John Calipari, and Tubby Smith will each have a dedicated street to permanently mark their historic impact on Kentucky. And the greatest Louisvillian of all deserves to be remembered every day, not just on special occasions. Muhammad Ali’s spirit will be part of how we tell Kentucky’s story to the next generation: a voice that would not be silenced, from a city that raised a champion. I am a lifelong, diehard Cardinals fan, and I am fully committed to restoring the 2013 Championship banner to the KFC Yum! Center. A Change Gonna Come: I was raised in St. Matthews, tested by fire, and sent into rooms where the biggest names in music and power operate. I came home with one conviction: the people have to take their state back. Kentucky gave the world its greatest fighter. Now it’s time to give Kentucky a fighter of its own: someone who will float like a butterfly and sting like a bee, who will use his voice loudly for those who have none, and who will never back down from a fight that’s worth having. I am running to break the machine and reclaim Kentucky.