Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw Aims To Enter The Republican Field For Governor, Says "Others" Think David Williams Is Unelectable.

Jefferson Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw considering governor's race
By Joseph Gerth

Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw said Thursday that she is considering running for governor next year.

Holsclaw, a Republican, said she hopes to decide by mid-December whether to join the GOP primary battle, which already includes Senate President David Williams of Burkesville and Louisville businessman Phil Moffett.

“I’ve had a lot of people call and ask about it,” she said. “There are people out there who do not believe that David is electable.”

Holsclaw just won her fourth term as Jefferson County clerk and was the only Republican to win a countywide election — besting perennial candidate Jack Wood with nearly two-thirds of the vote.

“I am going to look at it, I’m not going to say I’m definitely going to do it, but I haven’t had a whole lot of time to really think about doing it,” she said. “It’s always a compliment when anybody says to you that you can do something better.”

As clerk, Holsclaw said she has witnessed the ravaging effects of the recession on the people of Jefferson County.

“Every day in the last year and a half to two years, I have seen first-hand the number of repossessed cars, the number of foreclosed homes in Jefferson County, and it’s a shame,” she said. “It’s really sad to see that and I think somebody does need to step up and try to do something about it.”

Holsclaw said if she determines she can do something to help the state, she’ll run no matter who else gets in the race — or what her chances of winning are.

“I’m not out to run against any one person. If I make up my mind to do this, it’s because I truly believe that I would have something to offer the people in the state of Kentucky,” she said.

She added that she believes the cost of running for an office such as governor has become too high but that she thinks enough money would be available to her if she decides to run.

She also said she’s not concerned that there has only been one governor from Jefferson County since the 19th century.

“I don’ t think people care about where a person comes from,” she said. “I just think they want the problem solved.”

Holsclaw, 66, has said she has tried to a run a frugal, nonpartisan office, turning over millions of dollars of excess fees she collects to Louisville Metro Government and before that to Jefferson County Fiscal Court.

She said she doesn’t know if she is a “tea partier” but said that she agrees with many of the things the tea party subscribes to.

Williams declined to comment.

Moffett’s campaign manager, David Adams, welcomed Holsclaw to the race, saying she would make a better opponent than Williams.

“She doesn’t have a 25-year record of making government bigger and making Kentucky’s debt out of control,” Adams said.