Pol Watchers

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

State finance reports show Dems outspent GOP

The Kentucky Democratic Party dropped $2 million on the fall election, compared to $170,000 for the Republican Party of Kentucky, according to campaign finance reports filed with the state Registry of Election Finance.

The Democratic Party ended the election cycle with $19,274 after spending much of the party's cash helping Steve Beshear defeat Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher.

The Republican Party, meanwhile, starts anew with $8,865.84 in its state account and another $80,370 collected through money that Kentuckians designated through a check-off box on their income tax returns.

Those aren't complete pictures of the parties' financial strength because the organizations also have federal bank accounts monitored by the Federal Election Commission.

In addition, the state Senate Republicans and Democrats and state House Democrats and Republicans have reported to the state registry the financial condition of their caucus accounts:

• Senate Republicans (majority): $20,000 raised since June; $52,588 on hand
• Senate Democrats (minority): Not reported yet
• House Democrats (majority): $223,336 raised since June; $187,587 on hand
• House Republicans (minority): $2,500 raised since June; $10,109 on hand

- Ryan Alessi

Paul backers, war opponents spice up Giuliani event

The joint fund-raiser for the Kentucky Republican Party and GOP presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani attracted  two groups who picketed on the corner of North Limestone and Third streets.

More than a dozen members of the Iraq Campaign, which has been hounding Kentucky U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell and presidential candidates about bringing troops back from the war-torn country, waved “Support the troops, end the war” signs on the street outside of the Carrick House.

Brian Smith of Louisville used his sign as a megaphone to yell at those paying up to the federal maximum donation of $2,300 to Giuliani's campaign.  He repeatedly yelled “$2,300 could buy body armor for five soldiers and $2,300 will bring five soldiers back home.”

Smith, 38, said he objected to most of the Republican candidates' support of the war.

"It seems Republicans are trying to out-macho each other instead of trying to bring the troops home in a responsible way," said Smith who also protested outside of Giuliani's event in Louisville earlier in the day.

Outnumbering the protesters were more than 20 mostly young supporters of Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul, a congressman from Texas who has developed a sort of cult following nationwide.

Mike Wallace, a 27-year-old Nicholasville resident, said Paul is a traditional conservative and economics wonk whose platform is based on, among other things, stopping the free-fall of the U.S. dollar and eliminating the IRS. 

“If people are looking for the Reagan candidate he’s the only person who’s addressing those issues,” added Josh Koch, a 26-year-old Marine Corps veteran from Nicholasville, who also noted that Paul opposed the Iraq war from its start.

Both Koch and Wallace noted that Paul -- who out-raised other GOP contenders in the last quarter even though he's only collected $15,000 from Kentuckians -- noted that Paul has a strong tie to the Bluegrass state with his son, Rand Paul, who is a Bowling Green doctor.

Both the war opponents and Paul proponents arrived well before the 6 p.m. start time of the Giuliani event. But by the time Giuliani's car arrived at 6:45 p.m., only a handful of hardy Paul supporters remained to brave the sub-freezing temperatures.

Giuliani told reporters that he’s gotten used to seeing Paul’s “enthusiastic” followers outside of events across the nation.

But he claimed that he, and not Paul, “is the strongest fiscal conservative” and that Paul and his backers are wrong on national defense issues.

“My viewpoint is to be on offense against Islamic terrorism, not to withdraw into a shell,” Giuliani said. “The best way to achieve peace is through strength.”

- Ryan Alessi

GOP presidential candidates pay attention to Kentucky

Two Republican presidential contenders spent some time courting Kentuckians this week.

First, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney called to talk with 630-WLAP talk show host Leland Conway on Monday. Click here to listen to that interview.

Then former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani raise money today at events in Louisville and Lexington.

Here is an excerpt from the Associated Press's story out of Louisville this afternoon where Giuliani snared U of L basketball coach Rick Pitino's endorsement:

Pitino, a registered Democrat and former New York Knicks coach, called Giuliani a friend who brought needed change to New York City and guided it through tragedy in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks, which claimed the life of one of Pitino’s brothers-in-law.

“We’ve gone through an awful lot in New York with 9/11, and I thought he exemplified great leadership,” Pitino said before entering the fund-raiser at a downtown Louisville restaurant. “I grew up in the streets of New York and saw the good, the bad and the ugly. What he did with the city of New York ... was astonishing.”

...

(Giuliani) said the campaign cash raised in Kentucky and elsewhere would help him compete in the early primary and caucus states, as well as in larger states later in the campaign season.

His campaign did not disclose how much it expected to raise at the two events.

At the Louisville fund-raiser, Giuliani said he talked to his supporters about remaining on the offensive against terrorists and staving off higher taxes at home. Another topic, he said, was “how to end illegal immigration and promote legal immigration as the way to come into this country.”

Then, this evening, Giuliani appeared at the Carrick House in downtown Lexington for another event for his campaign, which also served as a joint fund-raiser for the state Republican Party.

Here's part of Thursday's Herald-Leader story on that event in which Giuliani talks about matching up with conservative voters values in Kentucky, among other subjects:

“The fact is we share the same values. I’d like to see abortion ended. Except I do believe women have to have an ability not to have government make that decision,” he told reporters before addressing the private gathering of about 100 Republicans at the Carrick House in Lexington. 

He also said that security against terrorism and the War in Iraq will carry great weight with GOP voters. Both are issues that play to one of his key strengths: the image of him taking charge amid the chaos in New York after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

“My vision of the future of America is a future in which we’re militarily strong and our economy is strong based on lower taxes, smaller government — the kinds of things I think appeal to people,” he said.

Giuliani noted that yesterday’s trip to Kentucky was a sort of homecoming for him. When he was a young lawyer in 1978, a federal judge appointed him to help save a bankrupt Kentucky coal company, prompting him to spend several years trekking to and from Hazard and Lexington.

See tomorrow's Herald-Leader for more details and watch WTVQ Action News 36 at 11 p.m. They were the only two media outlets that waited around for interviews with Giuliani at the Lexington event.

- Ryan Alessi

First candidate files to replace Draud in state House

Less than 24 hours after the state Board of Education picked Republican state Rep. Jon Draud of Edgewood as Kentucky's education commissioner, the first candidate to replace him has filed paperwork with the Board of Elections.

Will Terwort, a 32-year-old employee of the Kenton County Clerk's office, will run in the GOP primary in May for the Kenton County state House seat in the heavily Republican district.

Terwort, who is a member of the Kenton County Republican executive committee, will also seek the party's nomination to run to replace Draud for the remainder of this current term, which expires December 2008. That executive committee will select the nominee in the coming weeks for a special election that has not yet been set.

Terwort said he wants to bring fiscal responsibility to Frankfort.

"I'd like to repeal the annual sessions and repeal the state treasurer's office," he said after having his picture taken with Secretary of State Trey Grayson after filing his papers. Terwort and Grayson both graduated from Dixie Heights High School in the 1990s.

Draud's seat will be the third vacant legislative position next month. State Sen. Daniel Mongiardo, D-Hazard, is expected to resign his seat Dec. 11 when he is sworn in as lieutenant governor and Rep. Carolyn Belcher, D-Owingsville, has given up her seat since she was elected Bath County Judge Executive on Nov. 6.

- Ryan Alessi