All Entries in the "Jerry Abramson" Category

Second poll shows Beshear with double-digit lead over Williams

By Beth Musgrave
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — A second poll released this week shows Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear with a more than 20-point lead over Republican challenger David Williams.

Insight’s CN|2 poll, conducted by Braun Research, showed Beshear and running mate Jerry Abramson with 53.4 percent of the vote, compared to 25.3 percent for Williams and running mate Richie Farmer.

The independent slate of Lexington lawyer Gatewood Galbraith and marketing executive Dea Riley garnered about 7.2 percent of the vote.

Earlier this week, Public Policy Polling released numbers that showed Beshear witha 27-point lead over Williams.

Beshear campaign touts support of Republicans, including Larry Hopkins

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

Former U.S. Rep. Larry Hopkins, who represented Central Kentucky’s 6th District for 14 years, is among more than 300 Republicans publicly backing Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear for governor.

Hopkins, at a news conference in Lexington Thursday with first lady Jane Beshear, said he is friends with the other two candidates for governor – Republican David Williams and independent Gatewood Galbraith — but he considers Beshear “the best leader.”

Hopkins, who was in Congress from 1979 to 1993, also endorsed Beshear for governor in 2007.

The Beshear campaign also released the names Thursday of more than 150 other Kentucky Republicans who have publicly announced their support for Beshear and his running mate, former Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson.

They included Paintsville Mayor Bob Porter, Newport Mayor Jerry Peluso and Calhoun Mayor Thomas C. Fulkerson.

Odds ‘n’ ends from 131st Fancy Farm picnic

By Beth Musgrave and Jack Brammer
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FANCY FARM – The political stew during the weekend’s 131st annual Fancy Farm political picnic included the Bible, a heckler and zingers that the audience devour with glee.

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The most spirited speaker at the Graves County Democratic Breakfast that kicked off Saturday’s political events was state House Speaker Greg Stumbo of Prestonsburg, who is not running for office this year.

Stumbo said he was tired of Republicans saying people can’t be a Christian and a Democrat.

The Bible teaches kindness, sharing, humility and humanity, Stumbo said. He said the Bible does not say whether Jesus was a Democrat or Republican, but “he was a carpenter and teacher,” to loud applause from teachers and union members in the audience.

Stumbo also said the Bible is filled with symbols.

“Mary didn’t ride no elephant to Bethlehem that night,” he said. (Mary rode a donkey).

Beshear avoids politics at Fancy Farm, gets heat from opponents

By Jack Brammer and Beth Musgrave
jbrammer@herald-leader.com
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FANCY FARM — Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear avoided political partisanship during his speech Saturday at the annual Fancy Farm political picnic by entirely focusing on his trip last week to visit troops in the Middle East.

But his Republican opponent, Senate President David Williams, said Beshear touted his trip because he has no real accomplishments and independent candidate Gatewood Galbraith accused Beshear of “false military patriotism.”

With his voice breaking slightly in the hot weather, Beshear told a rowdy crowd at the 131st annual Fancy Farm picnic that traditionally kicks off fall campaigns in Kentucky that a week ago he was prepared to give a speech marked with barbs toward opponents.

But Beshear, who returned Friday night from a week-long trip visiting Kentucky troops in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan, said the life-changing trip made him realize there were things more important than mud-slinging and name-calling.

Beshear-Abramson campaign touts economic records in new TV ads

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT – The re-election campaign of Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear and his running mate, former Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, started airing two TV ads Monday touting their economic records.

The ads come on the heels of a TV ad by the Republican Governors Association that claims Kentucky’s economy has suffered over the last four years with one of the Top 10 unemployment rates in the nation and that GOP gubernatorial nominee David Williams has a plan to improve it.

Beshear and Abramson are featured in the 30-second Democratic campaign’s new ads. Williams is not mentioned.

Marshall County judge-executive picked to emcee Fancy Farm picnic

FRANKFORT – Longtime Marshall County Judge-Executive Mike Miller has been selected to emcee the 131st annual Fancy Farm political picnic that unofficially will kick off this fall’s campaigns for governor and other state offices.

Miller, a Democrat, has held the county judge office since 1974.

Mark Wilson, who organizes the political speaking at the free picnic on the campus of St. Jerome Catholic Church in Graves County with his wife, Lori Wilson, said the picnic’s committee tries to alternate between Democrats and Republicans in finding an emcee.

“They’d run me out of town if we picked someone from the same party every year,” he said, noting that, in some years, persons not affiliated with any party are selected to emcee.

Beshear releases first TV ad of fall campaign for governor

FRANKFORT – Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear has released his first TV ad of the general election, a 30-second spot that seeks to establish his Western Kentucky roots and highlight his efforts to help a struggling economy.

His Republican opponent, Senate President David Williams, criticized Beshear heavily on economic issues during the primary election, in which Beshear ran unopposed .

Beshear’s campaign said the TV ad will run on stations across the state. The general election is Nov. 8.

The spot shows Beshear and his wife, Jane Beshear, sitting on a park bench in his hometown of Dawson Springs. She comments on how they have been married for more than 40 years and are “a great team.”

Republican leaders try to unify party at Frankfort rally

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — Republicans tried to heal rifts from Tuesday’s primary elections for state offices and unify party support for November’s general election at a rally Saturday at party headquarters.

The two losing candidates for the Republican primary for governor — Louisville businessman Phil Moffett, who enjoyed widespread Tea Party support, and Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw, who prevailed in the state’s most populous county — were there to stand by party nominee David Williams.

But they said later that their roles in Williams’ fall campaign remain uncertain.

Democrat Beshear rolls out names of Republican supporters on eve of GOP unity rally

By Jack Brammer – jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — The Democratic re-election campaign of Gov. Steve Beshear rolled out the names of 70 Republicans Friday who endorse him and said more names will be forthcoming.

The move by Beshear came on the eve of Saturday’s Republican unity rally at party headquarters in Frankfort.

Friday’s list of Republicans for Beshear and his running mate, former Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, included former Lt. Gov. Steve Pence, former Lexington Vice Mayor and restaurateur Michael Scanlon, several mayors and Jon Ackerson, a Louisville Metro Council member and a former state representative and GOP chairman of Jefferson County.

Beshear and Abramson face the Republican slate of state Senate President David Williams and Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer in the Nov. 8 general election.

Williams’ campaign manager, Scott Jennings, dismissed the move.

“No candidate in any general election gets 100 percent of the votes from their party members,” Jennings said in an email. “You couldn’t find enough paper to list all the Democrats who will vote against Steve Beshear because of his allegiance to the Obama agenda, and his complete failure to deliver jobs for Kentucky.”

Mississippi Gov. Barbour will raise money for Williams-Farmer campaign

FRANKFORT – Republican Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour will headline a June 16 fund raiser in Lexington for Republican gubernatorial nominee David Williams and his running mate, Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer.

“Gov. Barbour has been a great hands-on governor, dealing with some of the toughest situations in his state’s history,” Williams said in a statement.

“Kentucky needs a governor who shares Gov. Barbour’s commitment to conservative values. I admire his action-oriented leadership style and his willingness to take tough, principled stances. We look forward to having him in Kentucky for what is sure to be a great event.”

Scott Jennings, manager of the Williams-Farmer campaign, said the fund raiser will be held at the Lexington home of businessman Don Ball and his wife, Mira Ball, a former chair of the University of Kentucky board of trustees.