All Entries in the "Bobbie Holsclaw" Category

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.

Williams-Farmer holds big fund-raising lead in GOP primary

By Jack Brammer – jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — Republican candidate for governor David Williams and his running mate, Richie Farmer, took in $446,943 from Jan. 1 through April 15, giving their campaign for the state’s highest offices more than $1.2 million for the May 17 primary election.

The slate of Senate President Williams and state Agriculture Commissioner Farmer, which reported having $669,839.23 cash on hand, easily outpaced the other two GOP slates for governor — Louisville businessman Phil Moffett with state Rep. Mike Harmon of Danville and Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw with former Navy veteran Bill Vermillion of Caneyville.

The Moffett-Harmon slate reported $45,883 in campaign funds from Jan. 1 to April 15. It said it has raised a total of about $100,000 for the election. It was not immediately clear how much cash the campaign has remaining.

The Holsclaw-Vermillion ticket this week showed $22,774 in receipts for its campaign, with $15,289.44 cash on hand.

Although Williams has raised enough to launch a statewide television campaign in coming weeks, his fund-raising lags that of Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear by a wide margin.

Holsclaw reports $22K in campaign contributions; unveils platform

Staff/Wire Report

LOUISVILLE — Republican gubernatorial candidate Bobbie Holsclaw has filed a financial report showing she raised $22,774 between Jan. 25 and April 15.

Holsclaw, the last of three candidates to enter to the GOP primary race, filed the report Tuesday with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.

Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, who is running unopposed for his party’s nomination, reported $1.27 million in contributions for the three-month period, bringing his fund-raising total to $4.8 million.

The disclosure shows that Holsclaw, who faces state Senate President David Williams and Louisville businessman Phil Moffett, doesn’t have nearly enough to mount an effective TV advertising campaign before the May 17 primary.

Williams is expected to report more than $1 million in contributions and Moffett less than $100,000 in documents that are due by Wednesday evening.

Beshear raises $1.27 million for campaign in first three months of year

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear and his running mate, former Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, raised $1.27 million in the first three months of this year for their campaign.

The total raised by the Beshear-Abramson campaign so far is $4.8 million. It reported having $3.3 million on hand in the campaign’s quarterly finance update filed with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.

“I am grateful for the support of Kentuckians of our hard work to bring economic recovery and prosperity to every community,” Beshear said in a statement. “Though I remain focused on creating jobs and running an efficient and lean state government, I am nevertheless pleased with the campaign’s fund-raising success.”

The campaign said in a news release that it has received donations from more than 7,700 contributors from all 120 counties in the state.

Holsclaw releases tax returns, urges opponents to do the same

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

LOUISVILLE — Bobbie Holsclaw, whose Republican campaign for governor appears financially strapped, made public her income tax returns from 2003 to 2011 Friday and challenged her opponents to do likewise.

Holsclaw’s latest income tax return shows she earned $113,799 as Jefferson County Clerk in 2010 and $17,456 in Social Security benefits. She paid $20,355 in federal income tax for the year.

“It’s never a fun thing to do to release your personal business but people whose money you are going to be handling have a right to see how you have handled your life,” Holsclaw said during a news conference Friday in Louisville.

Holsclaw also said she will amend the campaign finance report she filed with the state on Wednesday that showed her campaign collecting just $7,240 during its first two full months. The campaign had $2,725 on hand for the May 17 primary election.

That compares to about $750,000 her GOP opponent, Senate President David Williams, reported in January and nearly $55,000 her other challenger, Louisville businessman Phil Moffett, reported at the time.

Claim that David Williams wants grocery tax false

By Jack Brammer – jbrammer@herald-leader.com

The statement: “Placing a tax on groceries — as proposed by David Williams … is a tax that I and other Republicans strongly oppose.”

— Bobbie Holsclaw, in a Feb. 1, 2011, news release

The ruling: False

The facts: Senate President David Williams, who is running against Jefferson County Clerk Holsclaw and Louisville businessman Phil Moffett in the May 17 Republican primary election for governor, did not propose a sales tax on groceries.

Kentucky GOP candidates for governor spar over budget, leadership

By Jack Brammer – jbrammer@herald-leader.com

LOUISVILLE — Senate President David Williams touted his record as a legislative leader Saturday night while his two challengers in this year’s Republican election for governor contended that Kentucky deserves more.

Neither Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw nor Louisville businessman Phil Moffett mentioned Williams by name in speaking to more than 300 at the Jefferson County Lincoln Day Dinner, but they said Frankfort has offered little progress in recent years.

Holsclaw said she is “a Reagan Republican” who puts “people before politics.” She claimed that “nothing ever gets done” in Frankfort.

“I truly believe we can do better,” she said, urging the crowd to vote for “a fiscally conservative Republican who has not raised your taxes.”

Moffett, making his first bid for public office, said he has “never spent a tax dollar and I’ve never raised your taxes.”