“When I was 12 years old, I knew exactly what I wanted to do when I grew up. I wanted to fly fighter jets and land on aircraft carriers because that‘s the toughest flying you can do.” Amy McGrath served in the Marines for 20 years and has been on 89 combat missions. After two decades of breaking barriers for women in the military, she‘s looking to politics. And she’s using her life story to help her win. “I think health care is a fundamental right that should be guaranteed. It‘s why I‘ll take on anyone who wants to eliminate the Affordable Care Act, including President Trump. But taking my kids to get a shot— I approved this message, because I‘d like to see the other guys running to deal with this.” McGrath is running for a House seat in Kentucky 6th District. To win she’ll have to court rural and culturally conservative voters and Democratic-leaning cities. The district is heavily Republican and voters here have a deep admiration for the military. So McGrath’s time in the Marines makes her approachable to potential constituents. “I’ll never forget Amy on the radio. Cool, calm.” “But only enough time for one bomb.” “And Amy shacked it. It took out the enemy compound and turned the tide for us.” She’s up against Republican incumbent Andy Barr. “American does not need political correctness. What it needs is leadership.” He’s backing a Republican health care bill that would roll back significant portions of Obamacare. And health care is as personal for McGrath. She counts her mother as a major source of inspiration. She was one of the first women to graduate from University of Kentucky’s medical school. “A lot of people told her she couldn’t achieve her dreams either. But she persevered and ended up treating many of the same kind of people whose health you and Mr. McConnell would take away.” But it’s McGrath’s stance on guns that could cost her the most. In a pro-Second Amendment state, she’s calling for background checks and banning bump stocks. A Democrat hasn’t been elected in this Kentucky district since 2012 and so far she’s been turning heads. But it remains to be seen whether Amy McGrath can also turn her district from red to blue.