Slew of Republicans considering run for governor
By Jack Brammer – jbrammer@herald-leader.com
FRANKFORT — A slew of Republicans is considering challenging Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear in next year’s race for governor even though he already has more than $2 million in his campaign coffers and the power of incumbency at his disposal.
“Steve Beshear is vulnerable,” state Republican Party Chairman Steve Robertson said Tuesday, noting a GOP poll in early June of 1,020 likely voters that showed 37 percent of the respondents did not think Beshear deserves re-election and 51 percent thought someone else should have a chance to be governor.
That’s why you are seeing so many Republicans considering the race, Robertson said.
Beshear’s campaign spokesman, Matt Osborne, responded with a statement that said “it is way too early to start talking about next year’s campaign.”
Beshear and his running mate, Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, are “focused on helping Kentuckians through these tough economic times, and creating and maintaining jobs across the state,” Osborne said.
The most prominent of the Republicans mulling a challenge to Beshear is Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville. But talk by Williams, a member of the state legislature since 1985, about running for governor has failed to freeze the field of candidates for the political heavyweight.
David Adams, a former campaign director for U.S. Senate Republican nominee Rand Paul, has said he will announce a Republican ticket Thursday that hopes to pick up support from the Tea Party movement. The announcement is to come after 3 p.m. on Leland Conway’s radio show on 630 WLAP, followed by a news conference.
Adams has declined to identify the ticket, but several political blogs have mentioned that it might be Phil Moffett, a Louisville businessman and a member of the board of directors of the Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions, and state Rep. Mike Harmon of Boyle County. Neither could be reached for comment Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Republican State Rep. Bill Farmer of Lexington, who has pushed for state tax reform, confirmed Tuesday that he is looking at the race with Rep. Adam Koenig of Erlanger as his running mate.
Farmer, who has been in the state House since 2003, said he is disappointed that the state has not tackled changes in its tax code.
“I know a lot of people are surprised that I am talking about the race but no one has gotten out front to tackle our problems,” said Farmer.
Several Republicans say their “dream ticket” would be Williams slated with state Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer, who still enjoys much popularity in the state as a standout basketball player at the University of Kentucky in the 1990s. He is not related to Bill Farmer.
Richie Farmer, who can’t seek re-election as the agriculture chief because of term limits, is being mum about his political future. Associates say he is not inclined to be “No. 2” to anyone and also is taking a look at a possible bid for another constitutional office.
Farmer spokesman Bill Clary said Tuesday that Farmer’s decision about his future “will be sooner rather than later.”
He said Farmer will not attend the Aug. 7 Fancy Farm political picnic, which traditionally attracts politicians considering future races.
If Farmer does not run with Williams, potential mates for Williams include Cathy Bailey of Louisville, who is a former ambassador to Latvia, and state Sen. Damon Thayer of Georgetown.
Other Republicans mentioned as possible candidates for governor next year are Secretary of State Trey Grayson, who lost a bid for U.S. Senate in the May GOP primary election; Stanford banker Jesse T. Correll; Todd County businessman Bill Johnson, who dropped out earlier this year as candidate for the U.S. Senate; Inez banker Mike Duncan; Paducah businessman Billy Harper, who unsuccessfully challenged Gov. Ernie Fletcher in 2007; and Shelby County Judge-Executive Rob Rothenburger.
No Democrat has emerged yet to take on Beshear, but House Majority Leader Rocky, D-Sandy Hook, said many people have encouraged him to take a look at the race.
Gatewood Galbraith, a Lexington lawyer who has run unsuccessfully for governor four times, is running as an independent in the 2011 gubernatorial election. His running mate is Dea Riley, a political consultant in Frankfort who has managed several campaigns in the state.
Filed Under: Damon Thayer • David Williams • Elections • Governor's Race • Republican Party • Rocky Adkins • State Government • Steve Beshear
About the Author: John Stamper is the accountability editor for the Lexington Herald-Leader. A native of Monticello, Ky., he has been with the Herald-Leader in a variety of roles since graduating from Western Kentucky University in 2000. Reach him at jstamper@herald-leader.com
Bill Farmer as a governor? You’ve got to be kidding me.
Mike Duncan would be a joke as well……
Yeah, good luck with that. All anybody has to say during the campaign is \”he\’s/she\’s just like Fletcher.\”
Boom. Campaign over.
Your article is inaccurate. There is another Democrat challenging Beshear.
Williams? Yeah right, Mr I hate gambling and had killed horse racing in 2 years. NO WAY this guy wins!
“…it is way too early to start talking about next year’s campaign.”
Then why has your candidate already selected a new running mate and why is he raising money already?
The Republicans should have been talking about next year’s campaign a year ago. It is a travesty that at least one Republican has not already announced and is not blasting Beshear at every turn.
Mike Duncan would be an excellent candidate. Articulate, well-connected, a successful businessman, experienced. He would probably be at the top of my list right now.
no credible republican candidate mentioned above. Beshear wins. Rocky doesn’t have a prayer.
Gatewood Galbraith and Dea Riley have been hitting the trail hard already for over a year and are gaining major ground. Beshear and whoever gets the republican nomination will have their hands full trying to slow down the momentum of this campaign. There is real discontent with both parties right now and Gatewood is benefiting from that discontent.
Gatewood will get his customary 10% of the vote. Not a viable candidate. Bill Farmer and Koenig? Is that a joke? Billy Harper? Does he want to flush another 5 million?
Crit Luallen would make an excellent Governor. I’m just sayin’.
Crit Luallen would just be a continuation of the lineage of politicians who have run this state in the ground.
We need a new younger person who is not scared to bruise a few egos and hurt a few feelings
We don’t need someone from the Family Tree of Kentucky Democratic or Republican politicians.
Time for a someone new because ….. They absolutely can’t do any worse.
Gatwood Galbraith was receiving over 15% of the vote by only spending $20,000. This election he has gotten really serious. His message is really resonating. So many people are sick of both parties and their catering to special interests over the citizens. Beshear hasn’t done anything for the commonwealth, Abramson is very disliked in the state and there is no republican with a positive record to run on. Ritchie Farmer will maybe get 10% from from his history with UK basketball, but that is it. Have you ever heard him speak? It is so painful. Williams is barely liked enough in his own district to be reelected to state senate. The rest of the state does not like him very much.
Gatewood has been endorsed by the United Mine Workers of America already. As far as I know they have never endorsed a candidate this far out from an election nor have they ever endorsed anyone but a democrat. This is a huge endorsement. There are also rumors of some high ranking people in the state throwing their support behind Gatewood.
Please discount Gatewood, It will be that much more fun watching you pick your jaw up off the floor on November 8th next year.
It’s a conservative tide that’s sweeping the nation. Gateweed’s no conservative.
If Crit becomes governor, then the Old 5th and Northern Kentucky might as well cease to exist. Crit has a deep-seated prejudice against Republicans and Republican counties/areas and it shows in the way she has performed her job as auditor. If she gets to be governor, she’d do her best to cut as much state money to GOP counties as she could. You can take that to the bank. Crit is as corrupt as they come and is as much a “good old boy” as any Dem politician with male genitalia.
Gatewood is for small government and low taxes. Are those not conservative ideals? He is not for catering to special interests and big business. Is that why you say he is no conservative? You either don’t know what conservative means or you have never heard him speak or really know anything about him at all. Gatewood is very conservative.
It is not so much a conservative tide sweeping through as it is a disenchantment with those who have held office way to long and are way to disconnected from reality. Both parties are puppets of their campaign contributors. That is why so many independents are gaining ground all over the country.
Most people are actually somewhere in the middle politically. Independents espouse this more than any candidate from the major special interest parties.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaJI6mcs6pc&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6w6HquLBR4
Gateweed is pro-marijuana. He will never be able to escape the shadow of the very first campaign he ran. No true conservative supports the legalization of marijuana.
Gatewood all the way! Look at what we have had over the years up in Frankfort, not much. I have seen what all these Career Politicans have done for this State and I don’t think much of it. Do any of you really think Gatewood could be any worse than what we have seen?
Buck, I am a conservative and I will be voting for Gatewood. You do not speak for all Conservatives. You know what else? I support a Womens right to an abortion. Hmmm.
Gatewood is very intelligent, even when impaired. But, he is not the man for the governor’s chair. I have been a republican for nearly 30 years now. We need a change in leadership. We need term limits. We need someone like Bobby Jingal in LA. I say if anyone has touched politics, ethier party, no dice. We need someone who will cut government spending by 25% and lower taxes.
Gatewood has the most comprehensive economic plan this commonwealth has ever seen.He has support on both sides because he knows how to bring this state out of the funk it has been in economically and educationally. Any of the candidates listed in this article would be more of the same. The only way to break this cycle of inept governing is to elect Gatewood Galbraith and Dea Riley.
If you want to debate marijuana I can do that, But the fact is Gatewood is not the “marijuana candidate”. Gatewood has many different plans to help elevate Kentucky. He also has Dea Riley as his running mate. She knows how to build up tourism in the state, especially Appalachia, which will bring much tax dollars, as well as jobs to that region which is one of the most impoverished in the nation. Together they have crafted an education plan to help bring us up from the bottom of all the national education statistics. I agree with Daniel that that voting for Gatewood/Riley is the only way to break the pattern of bad governing this state has been plagued with.
I can say this much as a conservative, I support the legalization of marijuana. Having said that I don’t really support Gatewood because he has backtracked on that issue and now his position doesn’t make any sense.
He wants legalized it for medicinal purposes but nor necessarily for recreational purposes but at the same time he doesn’t to allow businesses to get involved in the production of marijuana. Yeah we sure don’t want any those “evil capitalists” getting involved in what should be a legitimate industry. Nope he’s just for wanna be hippies growing it for their personal use.
However if the Republicans nominates a bad ticket I might seriously getting voting for him as a protest.
Patio, you may be a fiscal conservative, but you’re not a social conservative. Abortion is THE litmus test for social conservatism, in my opinion. I do no
Oops, hit submit too soon. I do not support a woman’s “right” to kill her unborn child any more than I support her “right’ to flush it down the toilet the minute it pops out the birth canal.
You want a refreshing change from both tired old political machines, check out the slate the Leland Conway will be announcing. It should be interesting!
I have been a Republican now for 18 years now. I have not seen any issues changed from them or the Democrats. I will be voting for an INDEPENDENT who has a plan for our great state of Kentucky. Gatewood Galbraith and Dea Riley have a plan and it will get them to the KENTUCKY WHITE HOUSE come NOVEMBER. Everyone has great points but the fact is, EVERYONE IS WATCHING GATEWOOD GALBRAITH and DEA RILEY. They are leading the poll like it or not. The PEOPLE will get them in not the PARTIES.
I have not seen any polls that say Gatewood is leading the polls. Can you provide a link?
Here is a very recent poll. This is hardly “leading the poll.” http://www.wave3.com/story/13377920/kentucky-poll-shows-strong-support-for-beshear
and even more recent as in yesterday:http://www.kentucky.com/2010/10/24/1493177/kentucky-poll-gov-beshear-holds.html