Hank Linderman will once again face U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie in a general election after fending off Democratic primary opponent William Compton Tuesday night.

Linderman, a self-employed recording engineer, earned 58% of the vote in a contest nearly identical result to 2022’s Democratic primary, when Linderman previously defeated Compton.

“Being a candidate is difficult, and important. And winning isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially in these terrible times of division,”  Linderman said Tuesday night.

“We seem to celebrate those who throw the most anger. I will not be doing that, not to Congressman Guthrie, not to Republicans, Independents or Democrats. America needs to behave more like a family again.”

Linderman ran on the plight of working class Americans, who he said are underrepresented in Congress. If elected, he would work to secure higher wages, safer workplaces and affordable healthcare.

“I say that our world, the United States of America, would be better if we went back to democratically sharing our prosperity with people who work,” Linderman said in a pre-primary interview.

Compton, a Warren East music teacher, fell short for the second time against Linderman. Compton sought to address issues he hears his students talking about on a daily basis, like rising prices and outdated infrastructure.

Compton said he was “deeply disappointed” in the results and voter turnout.

“I congratulated Mr. Linderman on his win, and just like every other voter in the second congressional district, he has gotten to earn my vote,” Compton said Tuesday night. “And with his record over the last three elections, he has not done that.”

U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie’s campaign has already raised $1.7 million, largely from a prominent GOP political action committee, WinRed. He’s represented Kentucky’s 2nd district since 2009, and is the chairman of the House Health Committee.

Linderman expressed frustration with the lack of Democratic funding for his campaign and other historically Republican seats the party doesn’t think it can win this cycle.

“I’d like to see the Democratic Party return to unequivocal support for people who work, wherever they live, and to address the unbalanced relationship between rural and urban America,” he said Tuesday.

Linderman asked Kentuckians to invite him to their churches, county party meetings and neighborhood cookouts.

“I have much to learn from you, and I look forward to us becoming friends,” he said. “I think we need to move away from division, confrontation, hate, anger and war—and towards neighborliness, shared community, repair, love and peace.”