Lawmakers to pick their leaders

By Ryan Alessi – ralessi@herald-leader.com

Although the hotly-contested House Speaker’s race has been the talk of Frankfort, other top posts in the Democratic House leadership team are at stake during Tuesday’s legislative organizational meetings.

And the drama in the top contest between Speaker Jody Richards and longtime Democratic Floor Leader Greg Stumbo has spilled over into the House Democrats’ other races to the point that two major slates have loosely formed.

In the summer, Richards endorsed Rep. Joni Jenkins, D-Shively, for speaker pro tem over the incumbent and Richards’ longtime colleague in leadership, Larry Clark of Louisville. Richards also has been aligned with Democratic whip candidate Rep. John Will Stacy, D-West Liberty, and incumbent Democratic Caucus Chairman Charlie Hoffman, D-Georgetown.

“The speaker chose his slate early on when he picked Joni, John Will and Charlie Hoffman,” Stumbo said. “It’s kind of like a pick-up ball game: If you didn’t get picked on that team, you’re automatically on the other.”

That alliance includes Clark for speaker pro tem; Rep. Tommy Thompson, D-Owensboro, for Democratic whip; and Rep. Bob Damron, D-Nicholasville, who is seeking the caucus chairman post that he held from 2005 to 2007.

Most of the candidates rejected the notion that their fates were tied together and proclaimed that they each were running their own races. But this unofficial teaming up has been hard for their Democratic colleagues to ignore.

“There are pros and cons on each slate,” said Rep. Kelly Flood, D-Lexington, an incoming freshman who is one of a few to openly pick sides. After talking with each candidate, she said she is backing those aligned with Stumbo.

But with personal ties being what they are in politics, there still will likely be plenty of crossing back and forth in the voting.
Rep. Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, is the Democrats’ floor leader and the only one in the 2008 leadership team not to draw opposition.

Here’s how the races look:

Speaker Pro Tem

The main job of this position is to take over running the chamber in the House Speaker’s absence.

Clark, who has served in this spot since 1993, found himself on the opposite side of Richards during the 2008 session on several issues, chiefly how to handle Gov. Steve Beshear’s proposal to allow casino gambling.

The split in that leadership team exacerbated a frustrating session for many lawmakers.

“We had a terrible session in 2008,” Clark said. But he said he hopes Democrats saw “I was a steady hand.”

And while Clark says he’s running independent from any slate, he acknowledged that he’s strongly backing Stumbo for speaker.

“He has a better intellect, better political skills and a knack for bringing members together and a toughness to work with the Senate,” Clark said of Stumbo.

Jenkins, Clark’s opponent, said Richard’s endorsement was helpful in jump-starting what began as a long-shot campaign.

“I think early on there was some question of whether I could be competitive,” she said. “I think that has disappeared now.”

She said she and Clark, who both represent parts of Jefferson County, aren’t battling over philosophical lines, but differ over approaches.

“I’m very low-pressure,” she said. “I don’t make promises I can’t keep and I don’t try to threaten anybody.”

Democratic House Whip

This position, largely responsible for counting votes and whipping up support for bills, is the only open House leadership post, vacated when Rep. Rob Wilkey of Scottsville retired.

At one point it attracted five candidates.

But Rep. Ruth Ann Palumbo said Friday she wasn’t going to pursue the race after learning that the two pseudo-slates that include Stacy and Thompson were dominating.

Also, Rep. Rick Rand, D-Bedford, said he won’t run and is backing Thompson, a four-term lawmaker from Owensboro.

Rep. Arnold Simpson of Covington expressed interest in the race and could still make it a three-way contest Tuesday.

Meanwhile, both Thompson and Stacy say they’re focused on their own race and claim their fates aren’t tied to the speaker’s race.

Stacy, who narrowly lost his 2007 bid for this position, has put 26,000 miles on his Toyota Prius since June, mostly visiting his colleagues.

“When you get to go to somebody’s house and you talk to them … and eat supper with them, you just have a better appreciation for what they think,” he said.

Both Stacy and Thompson said communication must improve in 2009.

“Our caucus needs to work a little more from the bottom up, rather than the top down,” Thompson said.

Caucus Chairman

The race for this position, which organizes House Democratic meetings and helps campaign fund-raising, is a re-match of the 2007 race in which Hoffman unseated Damron by three votes.

Hoffman said he hopes to improve communication. But he said he believes his colleagues will re-elect him after the Democrats had a net gain of one member in the ‘08 elections and after making adjustments, such as opening up the caucus chairman office as a lounge.

“I think the members really appreciate being able to go somewhere and talk among themselves,” he said, adding that it also features snacks.

Damron, still smarting from losing the ‘07 race after believing he had 51 of the 61 Democratic votes then, said Hoffman failed to hold weekly caucus meetings to keep the members up-to-date the way he did in 2005 and 2006.

“Most of the bills passed in those years by wide margins and there was no discord in the (chamber),” he said. “I think those two years speak for themselves.”

Both men claim they have picked up supporters who weren’t with them last time.

Republican House leaders

GOP Floor Leader Jeff Hoover, R-Jamestown, isn’t expected to a draw a challenge for the post he’s held since 2001.

No Republican has publicly emerged to take on Rep. Bob DeWeese of Louisville as the GOP’s caucus chairman.

Rep. Sal Santoro, R-Florence, said he’s seeking the Republican whip post to try to improve the minority caucus’s say in the process. And he said incumbent GOP whip Stan Lee of Lexington seems to have higher ambitions after running for attorney general in 2007 just a month after being elected to the whip post.

Lee, however, said his statewide campaign for attorney general helped him better understand the different needs across Kentucky.
Rep. David Floyd, R-Bardstown, also has been mentioned as a whip candidate.

Senate Republicans

No challengers have stepped forward to take on the current Senate majority leadership team of:

■ President David Williams of Burkesville
■ President Pro Tem Katie Stine of Southgate
■ Floor Leader, Sen. Dan Kelly of Springfield
■ Whip, Sen. Carroll Gibson of Leitchfield
■ Caucus Chairman, Sen. Dan Seum of Louisville.

Senate Democrats

There still could be a contest for Democratic whip if the incumbent, Sen. Joey Pendleton of Hopkinsville, plans to seek another term because Sen. Jerry Rhoads of Madisonville also has his eye on the post.

“I would be interested in that position,” Rhoads said Friday. He declined to comment further.

No Democrats have emerged to challenge their current floor leader, Sen. Ed Worley of Richmond or caucus chairman, Sen. Johnny Ray Turner of Drift.