"Republicans, Democrats Both Happy With David Williams' Bid For Kentucky Governor".

Republicans, Democrats both happy with David Williams' bid for Kentucky governor
By Joseph Gerth

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Republicans and Democrats alike were buoyed Wednesday by the announcement that Senate President David Williams and Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer will form a ticket in next year’s governor’s race.

Republicans believe the Williams-Farmer ticket will give them a good chance of taking the governor’s mansion from Steve Beshear and the Democrats.

For their part, Democrats argue that Williams’ high negatives give them a prime opportunity to hang on to the office, which they’ve held for all but four of the last 39 years.

“I don’t see any way that David Williams could beat anybody,” said state Sen. Julian Carroll of Frankfort, a former governor who blamed Williams for putting the state in debt and said he’s “anything but” a conservative.

But former Jefferson County Republican Chairman Bill Stone said the ticket combines a “brilliant” political mind with an iconic symbol of University of Kentucky basketball who is beloved throughout the state.

“David Williams has the ability to get things done,” Stone said.

To get to the 2011 general election, Williams and Farmer will have to defeat Louisville businessman Phil Moffett and state Rep. Mike Harmon, who have formed a tea party ticket in the GOP primary.

Bryan Mills, chairman of the Laurel County Republican Party and a member of the tea party, said he likes Moffett and some of his views. But he added that Williams is the candidate to beat and gives Republicans the best chance to win.

“I think this is possibly a Republican dream ticket,” Mills said.

He added that he doesn’t believe Williams’ votes to raise taxes in the past will hurt him among tea partiers. “I think that there were times that David Williams had to make a compromise,” Mills said.

But Louisville lawyer John McGarvey, a Democrat, said Williams will have to work hard to assuage the tea party voters.

“I think Williams needs to bring that party together,” he said. “Even though (Beshear) hasn’t had the ability to accomplish a lot of what he wanted to accomplish because of the budget, it’s still pretty difficult to beat a sitting governor in Kentucky when he hasn’t had any scandal.”

Jennifer Duffy, of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report in Washington, said it’s too early to tell if Beshear or Williams will have the edge next year because much will depend on the national mood at the time of the election.

And she cautioned that Williams should be wary of a primary challenge from his right.

One Republican, Louisville lawyer Jim Milliman, agreed with Democrats that Williams’ high negatives make him vulnerable in a general election.

“I’m very disappointed that certain candidates are trying to upstage (this November’s U.S. Senate race) for a candidacy that is born prematurely,” he said.