Pol Watchers

Two GOP groups cry foul at Republican covention

Two delegations of Central Kentucky Republicans are upset at the state party for what they say were snubs during the weekend’s meeting to decide, among other things, several delegates to this summer’s GOP National Convention.

Several Franklin County Republican activists walked out of the 6th Congressional District organizing convention in Frankfort on Saturday to protest that county party’s chairman, Stuart Victor, being left off a list of delegates to the national convention in Minneapolis in early September.

“It looked to us like higher ups made the decisions and ignored those of the little people who do all the work,” said Christy Vaughan, a Franklin County GOP activist.

Republican Party Chairman Steve Robertson, who presided over the convention, said he compiled a list of names — three delegates and three alternates from the 6th District to participate in Kentucky’s group at the national convention — after talking with Republicans across the region.

A nominating committee of 10 approved that slate of names by a 9-1 vote with Victor the only opposition, Robertson said.

The delegates named were Laura Owens, the former Education Cabinet secretary from Frankfort; Carol Rogers, the Fayette County GOP chairman; and Shirley Wiseman, a former official with the National Homebuilders Association from Lexington. The three delegates are: Andy Barr, a Lexington lawyer and former legal aide to Gov. Ernie Fletcher; Colleen Chaney, former governor’s office of local development director under Fletcher; and Kevin Williams of Lexington, Robertson said.

“The district convention can only bring six people forward and there were more than six people who wanted to go,” Robertson said

The Kentucky GOP will send a total of 45 delegates to Minneapolis in September.

Victor, who at one point had advocated that Fletcher not seek re-election last year, said only that "I applied to be a delegate and I was unsuccessful." He can still seek to be selected as an at large delegate in the June 7 statewide Republican convention.

Vaughan said she and others also were upset that Franklin County’s representative in the delegation, Owens, hadn’t been active in local grassroots politics.

“They put someone on to represent us who never comes to meetings. We expected someone who had been with us in the trenches,” she said.

Myrtle Hopkins, a former aide to Republican Gov. Louie Nunn, said the process was “a joke as far as I was concerned.”

“I think it makes our party look bad when all these things are cut and dried beforehand.”
Robertson said he understood the Franklin County activists passion for supporting their chairman but argued that Owens, daughter of former GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emberton, has been active in state politics.

The Madison County Republican delegation also protested being left out of voting during the convention.

Robertson said the group failed to submit required paperwork to the state party.

“It sounds like someone dropped the ball,” he said.

Mark Gailey, a former Libertarian from Berea who switched to the GOP to support Texas U.S. Rep. Ron Paul in the presidential race, said he hoped the snub was unrelated to the fact that seven of the nine county representatives who showed up Saturday are Paul supporters. He said he is still looking into why the county group failed to turn in the paperwork.

- Ryan Alessi

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State GOP shows more cash than Dems in federal account

The Republican Party of Kentucky is showing more than $400,000 more cash available in its federal bank account than the Kentucky Democratic Party, which now boasts a governor to help in fund-raising efforts.

The latest reports to the Federal Election Commission covering the month of February shows that the state GOP has $479,285.81 available compared to the Democrats' $34,121.07.

Both parties spent more than they raised. That's not too surprising considering Feb. 5 featured three special elections, including the hotly-contested battle for the 30th Senate seat.

The Democratic Party spent $107,058 in February and collected $43,601 for its federal account that is overseen by the FEC. The Republican Party dished out $178,955 and brought in $160,140.

So far from the federal accounts, Kentucky Democrats have spent more than $358,000 in 2008 while Republicans have spent more than $286,000. Both parties also raise and spend money out of state bank account, monitored by the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance. Financial reports for those accounts aren't due until the end of June.

- Ryan Alessi

Kentucky GOP accuses Bluegrass Freedom Fund

The Republican Party of Kentucky filed a complaint to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance raising questions about whether the Bluegrass Freedom Fund went out of bounds with its ads in last year's governor's race.

To view the complaint, click here.

Steve Robertson, the Kentucky GOP chairman, said recent comments in the press by representatives of the Democratic Governors Association and casino company owner Bill Yung -- both of whom donated to the Bluegrass Freedom Fund -- indicate that the group's purpose was to help Democrat Steve Beshear get elected.

"They made it clear that they were giving big money to this fund to help Steve Beshear get elected," Robertson said in an interview. "Last time I checked they weren't saying they were giving to improve ethics in Kentucky."

The Bluegrass Freedom Fund ran several TV ads during the governor's race that touted ethics reform in Kentucky government. All of the spots focused on ethics problems that dogged former Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher, whom Beshear soundly beat in the November election.

UPDATE 7:34 p.m.: Jim Lamb, a Washington-based attorney for the Bluegrass Freedom Fund, charged that the Republican party's complaint "misstates the law and is factually wrong."

Lamb said the issue ads calling for ethics reforms were consistent with a June 2007 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Here's part of his statement:

The BFF acted completely independently of any campaign. And while we appreciated the support of our donors, they played no role in the independent decision making of our organization. RPK's complaint is legally and factually wrong.

In contrast, Gov. Fletcher was a member of and personally raised money for the Republican Governors Association, which then ran character attack ads against Steve Beshear last year.  A complaint was filed against the RGA in the Fall of 2007.

The RPK's facts about BFF are wrong, but if their legal argument is correct, then they just indicted the RGA and their member, Gov. Fletcher.

The Bluegrass Freedom Fund was set up under Section 527 under the IRS code that allows groups to advocate on behalf of issues but forbids coordination with candidates or campaigns.

Both Brian Namey, spokesman for the DGA, and Yung have been quoted as saying they supported Beshear's efforts to get elected. Namey said in August the group was "doing everything we can to support Steve Beshear." And Yung told the Associated Press last month that he exercised his First Amendment right to give money to support Beshear. Neither explicitly said contributions to the Bluegrass Freedom Fund was their main avenue of support.

Robertson said even though the complaint comes months after the governor's race results, he said the Republican Party wants to ensure that future 527 groups are more tightly regulated.

Republican Sen. Damon Thayer of Georgetown, has sponsored a bill that would require certain 527 groups weighing in on constitutional amendment issues to reveal their donors to the Registry of Election Finance frequently. Currently, 527 groups that operate in Kentucky only have to file annually with the IRS.

"We've got to send a message to groups like this that if they're going to participate in elections in Kentucky, they need to participate the right way," Robertson said.

- Ryan Alessi

McConnell promises misery for eventual opponent

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell riled up the crowd of several hundred at Saturday night's Republican Party of Kentucky Lincoln Day Dinner in Lexington when he promised misery for his Democratic opponent in the fall.

"Whoever runs against me is going to have a perfectly miserable experience," McConnell promised.

The state's senior senator said he expects his opponent to argue that Kentucky needs a "fresh face" in the Senate. "I'm going to argue that I give us a competitive edge in a highly competitive environment."

To drive home the point, McConnell played a lengthy video highlighting his efforts to bring back big bucks for tobacco farmers, universities, parks, the Bluegrass Army Depot and workers sickened at Paducah's uranium enrichment plant.

Louisville Democrats Bruce Lunsford and Greg Fischer are the two leading contenders to challenge McConnell.

McConnell started his speech by noting that "spirits are a little bit higher this year," a clear reference to the group's contentious gathering in Louisville a year ago when former Gov. Ernie Fletcher faced a primary challenge from former congresswoman Anne Northup.

He said he spoke recently with Fletcher, who is adapting well to his private life and following recent news accounts about Gov. Steve Beshear with "some detached amusement."

McConnell pointed to Secretary of State Trey Grayson's ability to draw 51 percent of the vote last November as "the first indication that Republicans weren't going to fold their tent or go away."

Then came "a game changer" earlier this month when Republican Brandon Smith won the Eastern Kentucky state Senate seat formerly held by Democratic Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo.

"I couldn't go to sleep I was so excited about it," McConnell said. "I thought it was enormously significant."

State Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, emceed the event. He took the opportunity to throw a few barbs at Beshear and noted that the Democratic governor's approval rating took a tumble this week, particularly in Eastern Kentucky.

As for Beshear's proposed constitutional amendment allowing casinos in Kentucky, Williams offered this advice: "He can stick a fork in it. It's done."

Congressman Ron Lewis, KY-2nd, used his time at the podium to promise he will do "everything I can" to get state Sen. Brett Guthrie, R-Bowling Green, elected to the seat he is vacating.

"I'm leaving, but we have a fine and wonderful young man in Brett Guthrie to carry on the work," Lewis said.

He also pledged to turn over "most" of his campaign war chest, which stood at more than $400,000 at the end of 2007, to the state party.

Lewis has repeatedly apologized to the party in recent weeks after secretly attempting to have his chief of staff, Daniel London, be the lone GOP candidate to replace him. London dropped out of the race earlier this month.

- John Stamper

Louisville GOP chair to leave, one successor emerges

Jack Richardson IV, who has served as the Jefferson County Party Chairman for nearly a decade, announced he'll be stepping down after the May primary, the Courier-Journal (Louisville) reports.

Meanwhile, the first possible replacement for Richardson emerged early Wednesday morning.

At 1:24 a.m., Bradford Cummings, who helped run Secretary of State Trey Grayson's successful re-election campaign last year, says he's gunning for the job.

Here's part of his statement:

“The Jefferson County Republican Party, above all else, should be there to aid campaigns as they march on to victory in November. My recent Louisville track record and focused passion for the core values of the Republican Party will help push our first-class slate of candidates over the top on Election Day 2008.”

Cummings, 30, said he wants to unify the Jefferson County GOP -- the largest Republican county group in the state. It suffered some fracturing last spring during the Republican primary for governor in which Richardson and many Louisville Republicans openly backed Anne Northup's challenge to incumbent Gov. Ernie Fletcher.

- Ryan Alessi

Kentucky Dems' superdelegates: 3 Clinton, 1 Obama

Half of the eight named superdelegates that the Kentucky Democratic Party will send to the Denver Democratic National Convention in August along with 59 regular Democrats are still undecided.

Of the other four, Hillary Clinton has a 3 to 1 edge over Barack Obama.

Here's the breakdown:

• Gov. Steve Beshear                 Undecided
• U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler             Undecided
• U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth            OBAMA
• Jennifer Moore, party chair        Undecided
• Nathan Smith, vice chair           Undecided
• Terry McBrayer                       CLINTON
• JoEtta Wickliffe                             CLINTON
• Moretta Bosley                             CLINTON
• (One add-on delegate to be named at the state Democratic Party convention June 7 also will have superdelegate status and will be free to support the candidate of their choice without having to consider Kentucky's May 20 Democratic primary election results)

As a result, the undecided superdelegates should expect big phone bills over the next few months as prominent surrogates for both camps burn up the lines to lock up support.

Click here to read all about it in the Herald-Leader.

- Ryan Alessi

Democrats win both House seats, concede 30th

Although dealt a political blow in the Eastern Kentucky state Senate race, Kentucky Democratic Party Chairman Jennifer Moore trumpeted the results in two House races as  signals that the party is "well on our way to turning the Bluegrass State blue once again."

Former attorney general and longtime Democratic House majority leader Greg Stumbo won his old seat back, defeating Republican Larry D. Brown by an unofficial vote total of 3,591 to 801 in the heavily Democratic 95th House District that covers most of Floyd County.

"His constituents know he will bring extensive knowledge and strong leadership to his District and to the legislature," Moore said of Stumbo.

Meanwhile, Will Coursey, a Symsonia banker and former aide to House Speaker Jody Richards, won the open 6th House District seat in western Kentucky over Republican Marvin Wilson, an Eddyville lawyer. Coursey will replace longtime Democratic Rep. J.R. Gray, whom Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear hired in December as his labor commissioner. Coursey was leading 5,029 votes to Wilson's 2,537 in Marshall and the district's part of McCracken counties. UPDATE at 9:57 p.m.: Lyon County's precincts showed Coursey winning 1,101 to 961 for Wilson, giving Coursey an overall win of 6,130 to 3,498.

Of Coursey's win, Moore's statement said:

"Having served for five years as Executive Assistant to House Speaker Jody Richards, Representative-elect Coursey is familiar with the legislative process and able to begin the hard work of governing on day one of his tenure. He ran a great race as is evidenced by his two-to-one victory."

Added Richards, the Democratic House Speaker in a separate statement: "There aren’t two people who could represent their districts better.”

But the biggest race of the night remained the 30th Senate District. Democrat Scott Alexander, a former state representative from Hazard, lost the race to Republican Rep. Brandon Smith of Hazard, despite strong efforts by Beshear and Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo on Alexander's behalf.

That district -- composed of Bell, Harlan, Leslie and Perry counties -- also has an overwhelming 2-1 advantage in registered Democrats with 43,708 compared to 26,882 Republicans and 1,677 "others."

Smith won Bell County, which is evenly split in registration, by about 800 votes. Smith won Leslie County, which has nearly an 8-1 advantage for Republicans, by another 800 votes. And Smith and Alexander essentially split the votes in Harlan County, with Alexander winning by 72 votes.

Alexander won in Perry County, where Democrats outnumber Republicans 16,441 to 4,175, by about 1,150 votes, according to unofficial results pending the final count of the last precinct.

That gave Smith a 401 vote win overall.

Moore, the Democratic Party chairman, downplayed the defeat in the Senate district.

"Scott Alexander fought a tough race and rallied Democratic voters in Bell, Leslie, Harlan and Perry counties to turn out in record numbers. We can all be proud of Scott's performance in this race," Moore said.

Smith, speaking to reporters in his House office in the Capitol Annex, complimented Alexander for his work ethic in the race. "One thing he's shown me is he's not a quitter," Smith said. "I admire him."

- Ryan Alessi

Allegations of vote buying fly in 30th District race

SPECIAL ELECTION TURNOUT ESTIMATED AT NEAR 20 PERCENT

Investigators with the Kentucky State Police and Kentucky Bureau of Investigation are looking into allegations of vote buying in Perry County in the special election for the open 30th state Senate district. 

"There was an allegation that either someone was buying votes or trading beer for votes in Perry County. We’re looking into that allegation," said Lt. Phil Crumpton, spokesman for the state police. He said he could not confirm whether any arrests had been made.

Allison Gardner Martin, spokeswoman for Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway, said the election fraud hotline received two "complaints of irregular activity going on in Perry County" and that Kentucky Bureau of Investigation officials are looking into those tips.

But she said because investigators only started looking into the complaints Tuesday afternoon, "it would be premature to talk about the specifics."

Democrat Scott Alexander, a former state representative from Hazard, is facing Republican state Rep. Brandon Smith of Hazard in the race to replace Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo in the state Senate district that covers Bell, Harlan, Leslie and Perry counties.

Perry County Clerk Haven King said he also received two complaints of "vote buying" and referred them to the Board of Elections and state police. It remains unclear whether those are the same allegations being investigated by the attorney general's office.

Meanwhile, Leslie County Clerk James Lewis said his office received one complaint of a supporter of Alexander's "leaning out of his car yelling to vote for his candidate" at people going to the polls in the Wooton Precinct. The man was within 300 feet of the voting precinct, which is against state electioneering laws but was gone by the time authorities arrived, Lewis said.

On a 70-degree February day, turnout is likely to reach 20 percent in the four-county district, the clerks reported. Here are early estimates through the first six to seven hours of voting:

• Leslie County: 15-20 percent, estimated Lewis
• Harlan County: about 20 percent with heavier turnout coming from the Harlan area and lighter participation in the Tri-Cities area of Benham, Lynch and Cumberland in the northeast part of the county, said Clerk Wanda Clem
• Bell County: around 15 percent "but hoping for 20 percent," said Clerk Becky Blevins
• Perry County: as high as 23 percent turnout in the district's largest and most heavily Democratic district, said King

The Board of Elections will post unofficial results later tonight. Stay tuned for updates.

- Ryan Alessi

2008 political year kicks off with five special elections

Voters in five legislative districts across the state will be asked to brave the cold and go to the polls over the next five weeks to pick replacement lawmakers.

The Democrats are on defense as they try to keep three House seats and a state Senate spot, while the Republicans are seeking to maintain control of a Northern Kentucky House seat and perhaps pick up another spot or two from the Dems.

Here's the schedule and a scorecard to keep up with this flurry of early electoral action:

JANUARY 8

63rd House District

• Covers: Northern Kenton County
• Became open when: Five-term incumbent Jon Draud, R-Edgewood, was named Kentucky education commissioner in November
• Republican candidate: Alecia Webb-Edgington, retired state police major and former executive director of the Kentucky Homeland Security office
• Democratic candidate: Dan Wolff, Lakeside Park city attorney
• Summary: It's a heavily Republican district where GOP voters outnumber Democrats 15,635 to 11,336. But Northern Kentucky voters are sometimes hard to get to the polls, especially in primary and special elections, making it somewhat unpredictable. Edgington enters with a sterling resume and favorable voter registration numbers behind her. Wolff has won elections before as a former Fort Mitchell city councilman.

72nd House District

• Covers: Bath, Bourbon, Nicholas and northeastern Fayette counties
• Became open when: Five-term incumbent Carolyn Belcher, D-Owingsville, was elected Nov. 6 as Bath County judge-executive
• Democratic candidate: Sannie Overly, a Paris lawyer
• Republican candidate: Bryan Beauman, a Lexington lawyer who lives in Paris
• Summary: The district has an overwhelming majority of Democratic voters -- 22,304 compared to the Republicans' 4,989. Both candidates are fresh faces in politics and have both been working hard since receiving the nominations in early December.

FEBRUARY 5

6th House District

• Covers: Lyon, Marshall and eastern McCracken counties
• Became open when: Twelve-term incumbent J.R. Gray, D-Benton, accepted Gov. Steve Beshear's request to be his labor commissioner
• Democratic candidate: Will Coursey, a bank lending officer from Benton
• Republican candidate: Marvin Wilson, an Eddyville lawyer
• Summary: Wilson lost twice to Gray in 2004 and 2006 in the district that includes 22,530 Democratic voters compared to the GOP's 6,757. But  it's also a largely conservative district, especially on social issues. Wilson's loss in 2004 was one of the narrowest in the state that fall. Coursey, meanwhile, cut his teeth in legislative politics as an aide to House Speaker Jody Richards but is on the ballot for the first time.

95th House District

• Covers: Floyd County
• Became open when: Freshman Rep. Brandon Spencer, D-Prestonsburg, resigned in December
• Democratic candidate: TBA. Contenders include former state Reps. Greg Stumbo (1980-2004) and Charles "Chuck" Meade (2004-2006)
• Republican candidate: TBA
• Summary: The district is heavily Democratic. It has 26,197 Democratic voters to just 2,604 Republicans. And this race has attracted interest from a couple of prominent Democratic names -- particularly Stumbo, who is finishing up his term as state attorney general was Kentucky's longest serving House majority floor leader after serving in that post for 19 years.

30th Senate District

• Covers: Bell, Harlan, Leslie and Perry counties
• Became open when: Third-term incumbent Daniel Mongiardo, D-Hazard, was sworn in as lieutenant governor on Dec. 11
• Republican candidate: TBA. Leading candidate is state Rep. Brandon Smith of Hazard
• Democratic candidate: TBA. Contenders include former state Rep. Scott Alexander of Hazard and former state Rep. Roger Noe of Harlan
• Summary: Perry County, the district's most populous of its four counties, is heavily Democratic, but Smith has represented the county in the House as a Republican for six years. Throughout the district, Democrats have a 46,236 to 26,952 advantage over the GOP in voter registration. However, complicating the race for Democrats is division between the Perry County and Harlan County factions about whether to support Noe or Alexander for the nomination. Overall, both parties desperately want to win the race: Democrats want to keep the seat given up by the newly-elected lieutenant governor while Republicans want a momentum swinging electoral win after losing the governor's race.

- Ryan Alessi

Republicans continue to urge Beshear to call election

With the constituents of the 30th state Senate District facing the prospect of having no representation in the upper chamber until at least February, Kentucky Republican leaders are urging Gov. Steve Beshear to act soon.

And, notes Kentucky Republican Party Chairman Steve Robertson, Beshear's own legal opinion from 1981 highlights the importance of filling a vacancy swiftly.

It's been more than two weeks since Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo took the oath of his new office and resigned his seat in the Senate, which represents Bell, Harlan, Leslie and Perry counties. And still, Beshear hasn't issued a writ of election to set a date for when a temporary replacement could step in.

UPDATE 4:18 p.m.: Vicki Glass, Beshear's spokeswoman, said the date for the Senate special election as well as an open House Seat -- vacated by Rep. Brandon Spencer, who resigned --  "will be set by the end of the week."

By law, a special legislative election can occur on a Tuesday at least 35 days after a governor issues the Writ of Elections. If Beshear calls the election by the end of this week, it could be set for Feb. 5. The 2008 General Assembly, however, begins Jan. 8.

Robertson recently issued a press release quoting Beshear's words from 1981 when the 75th House seat opened up.

"The framers of the constitution had in mind that vacancies in the General Assembly shall not continue but should be filled immediately in the manner provided by the legislature," said Beshear's Nov. 10, 1981 advisory opinion letter addressed to then Legislative Research Commission director Vic Hellard Jr.

His opinion continued:

Thus, because of the urgency for filling the vacancy in question so that the residents of the 75th Legislative District will be properly represented at the earliest possible time following the beginning of the session on January 5, it is suggested that the Writ of Election be issued on January 1st and hand delivered rather than mailed to the sheriff.

Republican Rep. Brandon Smith of Hazard has emerged as the most likely contender for the GOP for the Senate seat. Several Democrats have been named as possible candidates, including former state Rep. Roger Noe of Harlan County and former state Rep. Scott Alexander of Hazard, whom Smith has defeated in three elections.

- Ryan Alessi