All Entries in the "Democratic Party" Category

Stumbo says redrawing of state legislative districts might wait a year

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — House Speaker Greg Stumbo said Friday that the redrawing of state legislative district boundaries may not be completed this year.

“As far as the House and Senate districts are concerned, it would be my opinion, not a suggestion, that yes, it could wait until 2013 from a legal perspective,” said Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg.

He added that the redrawing of the state’s six congressional districts must be done this year.

Stumbo’s comments to reporters came as rank-and-file House members learned more about leadership’s plans to redraw their district boundaries.

Plan would put Hal Rogers’ home county in two congressional districts

PDF: House plan for congressional districts

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — A state House committee voted along party lines Thursday to split the home county of Republican U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers of Somerset into two congressional districts as it redraws the boundaries of Kentucky’s six districts.

The plan contained in House Bill 2 also moves Boyle, Garrard and part of Jessamine counties from Central Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District to south-central Kentucky’s 2nd District.

It also makes Northern Kentucky’s 4th District a more urban district and moves Daviess County from the 2nd District to the 1st District.

House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, acknowledged after the House State Government Committee approved the bill that it is likely to change before becoming law.

“I assume it will go through some vigorous debate and likely transformation,” he said.

November state general fund receipts down

By Beth Musgrave
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — State general fund receipts were down 2.8 percent from the previous November, state budget officials announced Friday.

Total revenues for November were $728.7 million, down from $749. 5 million the previous year. However, state revenues need only to increase by a total of .7 percent in the remaining seven months of the fiscal year in order to achieve the official revenue estimate of $8.8 million set by the Consensus Forecasting Group, a group of independent economists who predict how much revenue the state will generate.

Rep. Cherry decides not to seek re-election

By Beth Musgrave
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — The chairman of the powerful House State Government committee will not seek re-election next year.

Rep. Mike Cherry, D-Princeton, announced Thursday that he would not seek another term. Cherry, who was first elected in 1999, said in a statement that he and his wife Gale, the mayor of Princeton, decided that now was the time for him to leave public service.

“There is no single reason behind this hard decision, but I will be almost 70 at the end of this term, and I feel the job requires an energy and enthusiasm more often found in one younger,” Cherry said in a written statement. “I will still look for, and hope to find, opportunities to be of service to my community and state.”

Beshear senior campaign staffer to join lobbying firm

By Beth Musgrave
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — The deputy campaign manager of Gov. Steve Beshear’s successful re-election campaign has joined a lobbying firm.

Sherman Brown, who also was a member of Beshear’s campaign team in 2007, confirmed Tuesday that he was joining McCarthy Strategic Solutions, which is also the firm of Skipper Martin, former Democratic Gov. Paul Patton’s chief-of-staff.

New ‘out takes’ video posted of Grimes’ famous ‘granny ad’

FRANKFORT — In his concession speech last Tuesday, Republican candidate for secretary of state Bill Johnson congratulated Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes and two important people in her life and in her campaign — “Elsie” and “Thelma”

Her grandmothers are very effective campaigners, Johnson joked after being beat by Grimes on Nov. 8.

Secretary of State-elect Alison Lundergan Grimes

Secretary of State-elect Alison Ludergan Grimes made numerous references to her grandmothers Thelma Lundergan McHugh and Elsie Crawford Case, who were seated next to her, during her victory speech Tuesday night.

McHugh and Case starred in Grimes’ hugely popular campaign commercial, and in her speech, the secretary of state elect promised to make them proud of her.

“Grandmothers, I promise as secretary of state, we will continue to be about all Kentuckians,” Grimes said in an assertive address.

Re-elected Attorney General Jack Conway

Attorney General Jack Conway, who lost a bitter 2010 U.S. Senate race to U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, took the stage at the Frankfort Convention Center to the pounding beat of Chumbawumba’s Tubthumper – “I get knocked down, but I get up again … ”

Conway derided attempts to frame the attorney general race into a national race and said Kentucky voters saw what it means to be a state attorney general.

“You watch what Steve Beshear and I are about to do together!” Conway said, highlighting plans to ramp up a fight against illegal prescription pill distribution.

Conway touted his office as an advocate for Kentuckians against oil, gas and pharmaceutical companies and said, “a lot of people have wanted to write my political obituary … But rumors of my demise are woefully premature.”

Auditor-elect Adam Edelen

Introduced by U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler and with his predecessor Crit Luallen on stage, auditor-elect Adam Edelen was the first Democrat to deliver a victory speech Tuesday night.

Edelen started by saying Luallen’s early endorsement was a key to him not having a primary challenger, and he called her, “the gold-standard of public service in Kentucky.”

Edelen continued, “I won’t let her down, and I won’t let you down either.” Citing his own humble roots, he said, “as long as I’m in public life, my work will be to make sure we capitalize on human potential.”

Democrats are hanging tight in Frankfort waiting for more results while listening to Tom Petty and the Beatles.

Conway – national Democrats vs. KY Democrats

It was just a year ago Attorney General Jack Conway experienced Kentuckians’ preference for Republicans over Democrats in Federal elections when he lost to Rand Paul in the U.S. Senate race.

While noting his re-election race against Republican challenger Todd P’Pool is not decided, he said Democrats were doing better in Statewide races this fall because Kentuckians, “can walk and chew gum at the same time” and recognize a difference between national Democrats and Kentucky Democrats.

Conway said he was proud of his re-election campaign and that he had not, “run a single negative ad,” and focused on his record, “that merits re-election.”