All Entries in the "Andy Barr" Category

No compromise on congressional redistricting; issue probably headed to court

By Beth Musgrave
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — State lawmakers failed to redraw the boundaries of Kentucky’s six congressional districts before Tuesday’s candidate filing deadline, which means the issue probably will end up in court.

House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, told House members about 20 minutes after the 4 p.m. filing deadline that a compromise agreement between the Democratic-controlled House and the Republican-controlled Senate could not be reached.

The House and Senate had delayed the original deadline from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7 to give the two sides more time to reach an agreement.

House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, had worked with members of congress on a possible compromise that late last week looked promising, House leaders said. But Senate Majority Leader Robert Stivers said Tuesday afternoon that the two sides appeared to “agree to disagree.”

Stumbo said congressional candidates will run in the state’s existing districts. That means someone — either a candidate or a national political party — will probably challenge the constitutionality of Kentucky’s districts.

Chandler, Barr both file to run in 6th District congressional race

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — Democratic U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler and Republican challenger Andy Barr took steps Friday that are expected to set up a rematch in this year’s race for U.S. Congress from Central Kentucky’s 6th District.

Chandler, who has represented the district since winning a special election in 2004, defeated Barr in the 2010 race by 647 votes.

Chandler sent a representative Friday morning to file his candidacy papers for this year, while Barr showed up at the Capitol to file his.

Barr then held a news conference to say Chandler is too close to President Barack Obama, who also is seeking re-election this year.

Comer raises more than $650,000 in race for ag commissioner

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — Republican James Comer has raised more than $650,000 from 100 of the state’s 120 counties in his bid to become Kentucky’s next agriculture commissioner.

In papers filed Monday with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, Comer, a state representative from Tompkinsville, reported more than $400,000 on hand for his race against Democrat Bob Farmer, a Louisville businessman, in the Nov. 8 general election.

Farmer has not yet filed his campaign finance report.

A news release from Comer’s campaign said 28 of Comer’s colleagues in the state legislature have contributed to his campaign, including Democratic Rep. Melvin Henley of Murray.

Chandler urges support for Obama’s jobs plan

By John Cheves
jcheves@herald-leader.com

U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler said Wednesday that he supports President Barack Obama’s $447 billion jobs plan, although the Republican-led House is not expected to vote on the plan soon, if ever.

Chandler, D-Versailles, said he approves of the plan’s mix of payroll tax cuts for businesses, infrastructure spending and aid to local governments to avert the layoffs of teachers and emergency workers. He said the plan would offer $1,330 in tax relief to a typical Kentucky household and save or create 12,000 jobs in the state.

“There is no time to waste,” Chandler said in a prepared statement. “Congress must act now to create jobs, strengthen our middle class and expand our economy.”

Chandler, who is expected to face a tough re-election battle in 2012, did not return calls seeking comment.

Chandler blasts GOP Medicare plan favored by Barr

By Jack Brammer – jbrammer@herald-leader.com

U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler told a group of senior citizens Friday that he opposes “dismantling” the $500 billion-a-year program as he claimed some Republicans have proposed.

“I feel some in Congress want to basically give our seniors a discount coupon and a get-well card,” Chandler said in a speech to about 120 at the Lexington Senior Center on the 45th anniversary of Medicare.

Chandler, a Versailles Democrat who probably faces a tough re-election race next year, took aim at a proposal by House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, dismissing it as a voucher system.

Republican Andy Barr, a Lexington attorney who lost to Chandler in last year’s 6th Congressional District election by only 648 votes, has already announced his candidacy for next year’s race.

Barr said in a phone interview that Chandler’s campaign strategy “is to scare senior citizens.”

Andy Barr announces 2012 campaign for Congress

FRANKFORT — Lexington attorney Andy Barr, who fell short just 648 votes last year in representing Central Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District, announced Thursday that he will seek the same seat in 2012.

Barr, a Republican, said in a statement that his “top priority will be to stop Washington’s reckless spending spree and work to avert a national debt crisis.”

The congressional seat is now held by Democrat Ben Chandler of Woodford County.

Williams, Moffett take on Beshear at Fayette GOP dinner

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

Two Republican candidates for governor took on Democratic incumbent Steve Beshear more than each other Saturday night at the Fayette County Republican Party dinner.

Senate President David Williams of Burkesville claimed Beshear, who has no opponent in May’s Democratic primary election, has no agenda and Louisville businessman Phil Moffett said Forbes magazine last October labeled Kentucky as the worst run state in the nation and that Kentucky’s bond rating has declined because of the state’s financial picture.

Williams and Moffett were at center stage at the Fayette GOP dinner at the Griffin Gate Marriott attended by about 200 people and hosted by Lexington sports media celebrity Dave Baker.

A third Republican candidate for governor, Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw, was invited but did not show up, said Fayette County GOP Chair Carol Rogers.

Chandler blames Obama, Pelosi for Democrats’ losses in election

By Halimah Abdullah – habdullah@herald-leader.com

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler said last week he partially blames the Obama administration and U.S. House leadership for Democrats’ election losses and his extremely narrow re-election.

“If not there, where else does the responsibility lie?” said Chandler, D-Versailles, who had endorsed Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential election. “You’re talking about the loss of 60 or something seats held by capable public servants. There had to be something going on at a level above them. If that isn’t the lesson, I don’t know what is.”

In a wide-ranging Herald-Leader interview last week, Chandler said Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should have focused on the economy before attempting to reform health care.

“I think it was a serious strategic error on the part of the administration to take on health care when the public was agitated about the economy,” he said.

Andy Barr concedes defeat to Ben Chandler

By Beth Musgrave and Jack Brammer

Republican Andy Barr conceded defeat to Democratic U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler on Friday, 10 days after voters cast their ballots in Central Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District.

“I can find no substantial reason or compelling evidence that would justify a petition for a recount,” Barr said during a news conference in Lexington at the Fayette County Republican Party headquarters.

Barr said he called Chandler shortly before making the announcement and congratulated the now five-term congressman on his narrow win.

Barr would not answer questions about his political future, including whether he would challenge Chandler again in two years. The Lexington lawyer said he looks forward to returning to private practice. Barr, 36, also announced that he and his wife Carol were expecting a daughter in April.

Earlier in the day, a recanvass of vote machines in the district’s 16 counties showed Chandler leading Barr by 648 votes.

Ben Chandler holds 648-vote lead over Andy Barr after recanvass

By Jack Brammer – jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT – A recanvass of votes Friday in all 16 counties in Central Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District showed Democratic U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler leading Republican Andy Barr by 648 votes.

Secretary of State Trey Grayson said the recanvass requested by Barr showed Barr picking up only one vote in Lincoln County, putting Chandler’s lead at 648 votes. It was 649 before the recanvass.

The total vote count from the recanvass is Chandler with 119,812 votes and Barr with 119,164 votes.

Grayson said Barr has until the end of business Friday to ask the Franklin Circuit Court to conduct a recount of the votes. That would be at the candidate’s expense, Grayson said.

Barr has scheduled a 3:30 p.m. news conference Friday in Lexington to comment on the recanvass, which involved re-tabulating votes from the voting machines.

Grayson emphasized that the final stamp of approval on the race comes from the Kentucky Board of Elections, which is scheduled to meet Nov. 22. The board would postpone any decision if Barr seeks a recount, he added.