Gatewood Galbraith Enters Governor's Race With Runningmate Dea Riley.
Gatewood Galbraith announces another race for governor
By Joseph Gerth
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Perennial candidate Gatewood Galbraith officially kicked off his fifth run for governor Wednesday, saying that this race will be different from past campaigns when he finished near the bottom of the pack.
“We figure we need to have 425,000 votes,” Galbraith said during a Capitol press conference with his running mate, Shelbyville marketing executive Dea Riley. “More than that already agree with us, we just have to get them to the polls.”
Galbraith, a Lexington lawyer, and Riley filed with the Secretary of State’s office to run for governor and lieutenant governor next year as independent candidates. They must now obtain the signatures of 5,000 Kentucky voters to get on the ballot.
They will likely face Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, who is running with Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, and the winner of the GOP primary.
Senate President David Williams of Burkesville and Louisville businessman Phil Moffett are the two GOP gubernatorial candidates in the race so far.
Galbraith, wearing his trademark Stetson fedora, took shots at both Republicans and Democrats during his press conference.
He said he didn’t want to run under the banner of a political party.
“Dea and I share the belief that the parties are the problem in the state of Kentucky,” he said. “… Both parties have their horns locked up like two bull elephants fighting over territory while our business lays dead in the dust.”
Galbraith blamed Beshear, whom he endorsed in 2007 after finishing fifth in the Democratic primary, for an inability to create and keep jobs in the state.
“The current administration has been ineffective in keeping those jobs. The current administration has no plan for introducing new jobs. Dea and I believe our planks and our platform will do both,” Galbraith said.
Riley said her job as lieutenant governor would be to serve as the state’s chief economic development officer.
Among other things, Galbraith and Riley said they would create regional development offices to focus on the needs and strengths of different areas of the state, do more to promote and market the state’s signature industries around the world and give added incentives to small businesses to diversify and expand.
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In an interview, Galbraith criticized Beshear for proposing a budget last year based in part on nearly $800 million of assumed revenue from expanded gambling.
“He’s been totally ineffective, totally ineffective,” Galbraith said of Beshear. “First of all, he could have submitted a budget that wasn’t based on $780 million in fictitious money … that had no hope of materializing. How cynical is that?”
Matt Osborne, a spokesman for the Beshear campaign, declined comment.
Galbraith said he has already raised $127,871, which shows this race will be different from his past campaigns — in which he never spent more than $44,745.
At his news conference, he called for giving every high school graduate in Kentucky a $5,000 educational voucher and legalizing medical marijuana, which he said could save the state $500 million to $1 billion in medical costs each year.
Galbraith, a marijuana advocate, said he doesn’t favor legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes. He said he would favor decriminalizing marijuana possession, as California has, meaning that violators could be cited and required to pay a fine but not subjected to arrest.
By Joseph Gerth
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Perennial candidate Gatewood Galbraith officially kicked off his fifth run for governor Wednesday, saying that this race will be different from past campaigns when he finished near the bottom of the pack.
“We figure we need to have 425,000 votes,” Galbraith said during a Capitol press conference with his running mate, Shelbyville marketing executive Dea Riley. “More than that already agree with us, we just have to get them to the polls.”
Galbraith, a Lexington lawyer, and Riley filed with the Secretary of State’s office to run for governor and lieutenant governor next year as independent candidates. They must now obtain the signatures of 5,000 Kentucky voters to get on the ballot.
They will likely face Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, who is running with Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, and the winner of the GOP primary.
Senate President David Williams of Burkesville and Louisville businessman Phil Moffett are the two GOP gubernatorial candidates in the race so far.
Galbraith, wearing his trademark Stetson fedora, took shots at both Republicans and Democrats during his press conference.
He said he didn’t want to run under the banner of a political party.
“Dea and I share the belief that the parties are the problem in the state of Kentucky,” he said. “… Both parties have their horns locked up like two bull elephants fighting over territory while our business lays dead in the dust.”
Galbraith blamed Beshear, whom he endorsed in 2007 after finishing fifth in the Democratic primary, for an inability to create and keep jobs in the state.
“The current administration has been ineffective in keeping those jobs. The current administration has no plan for introducing new jobs. Dea and I believe our planks and our platform will do both,” Galbraith said.
Riley said her job as lieutenant governor would be to serve as the state’s chief economic development officer.
Among other things, Galbraith and Riley said they would create regional development offices to focus on the needs and strengths of different areas of the state, do more to promote and market the state’s signature industries around the world and give added incentives to small businesses to diversify and expand.
(2 of 2)
In an interview, Galbraith criticized Beshear for proposing a budget last year based in part on nearly $800 million of assumed revenue from expanded gambling.
“He’s been totally ineffective, totally ineffective,” Galbraith said of Beshear. “First of all, he could have submitted a budget that wasn’t based on $780 million in fictitious money … that had no hope of materializing. How cynical is that?”
Matt Osborne, a spokesman for the Beshear campaign, declined comment.
Galbraith said he has already raised $127,871, which shows this race will be different from his past campaigns — in which he never spent more than $44,745.
At his news conference, he called for giving every high school graduate in Kentucky a $5,000 educational voucher and legalizing medical marijuana, which he said could save the state $500 million to $1 billion in medical costs each year.
Galbraith, a marijuana advocate, said he doesn’t favor legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes. He said he would favor decriminalizing marijuana possession, as California has, meaning that violators could be cited and required to pay a fine but not subjected to arrest.
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posted by KYJurisDoctor at 7:05 PM
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