Courier Journal Editorial Reviews "After The Primary".
After the primary
Voter turnout Tuesday was pathetic — only 13 percent of registered Republicans and 9 percent of Democrats bothered to go to the polls. Let's hope that folks in Egypt, Tunisia and other countries steering either a new course toward democracy or an old one toward autocracy weren't watching and concluding that free elections are of little importance.
But with that bit of fussing out of the way, the results do set up what should be a spirited governor's race between two starkly different visions for Kentucky and approaches to governing.
As expected, Kentucky Senate President David Williams won the Republican nomination for state government's chief executive post. In a bit of a surprise, however, he was not able to muster 50 percent of the vote, despite wide name recognition and deep pockets that allowed him to outspend his nearest rival, Louisville businessman and tea party favorite Phil Moffett, by a margin of about 10-1.
The returns suggest Sen. Williams confronts some challenges that will require early attention. For starters, familiarity can be a mixed blessing, especially for someone with his battle scars from more than two decades in the legislative arena. His running mate, Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer, has faced a series of embarrassing revelations about his conduct and his handling of his office.
Sen. Williams ran third in Jefferson County — the only county carried by the third GOP contender, Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw — even though, or perhaps because, he played the race card regarding Louisville's public schools during the last legislative session and in a recent campaign ad.
Sen. Williams cruised in Eastern, Southern and most of Western Kentucky. But he was thumped in Lexington and most of the bluegrass region, and he lost to Mr. Moffett in key counties such as Warren (Bowling Green), Daviess (Owensboro), Hardin (Elizabethtown) and McCracken (Paducah). He also trailed Mr. Moffett in Northern Kentucky, where he lost populous Kenton and Boone counties.
Other results were pretty much a sideshow. Incumbent Treasurer Todd Hollenbach, a Democrat, easily and deservedly won renomination for a second term. Gov. Steve Beshear lost a proxy fight with factional foe Jerry Lundergan, when the latter's daughter, Allison Lundergan Grimes, beat the Governor's appointee, Elaine Walker, in the Democratic race for secretary of state. The Democrats nominated a candidate for agriculture commissioner, Bob Farmer, who calls himself “Farmer Bob” but isn't a farmer. He'll face the GOP winner, state Rep. James Comer.
The big show will be Sen. Williams' effort to defeat Gov. Beshear and his running mate, former Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson. Sen. Williams doubtless will try to appeal to tea party voters — whose allegiance to establishment Republicans is not automatic — and show national contributors and party officials that he can win.
If he's successful, Republican money will flood into Kentucky, perhaps putting the race up for grabs. If not, he may face a long summer and fall.
Voter turnout Tuesday was pathetic — only 13 percent of registered Republicans and 9 percent of Democrats bothered to go to the polls. Let's hope that folks in Egypt, Tunisia and other countries steering either a new course toward democracy or an old one toward autocracy weren't watching and concluding that free elections are of little importance.
But with that bit of fussing out of the way, the results do set up what should be a spirited governor's race between two starkly different visions for Kentucky and approaches to governing.
As expected, Kentucky Senate President David Williams won the Republican nomination for state government's chief executive post. In a bit of a surprise, however, he was not able to muster 50 percent of the vote, despite wide name recognition and deep pockets that allowed him to outspend his nearest rival, Louisville businessman and tea party favorite Phil Moffett, by a margin of about 10-1.
The returns suggest Sen. Williams confronts some challenges that will require early attention. For starters, familiarity can be a mixed blessing, especially for someone with his battle scars from more than two decades in the legislative arena. His running mate, Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer, has faced a series of embarrassing revelations about his conduct and his handling of his office.
Sen. Williams ran third in Jefferson County — the only county carried by the third GOP contender, Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw — even though, or perhaps because, he played the race card regarding Louisville's public schools during the last legislative session and in a recent campaign ad.
Sen. Williams cruised in Eastern, Southern and most of Western Kentucky. But he was thumped in Lexington and most of the bluegrass region, and he lost to Mr. Moffett in key counties such as Warren (Bowling Green), Daviess (Owensboro), Hardin (Elizabethtown) and McCracken (Paducah). He also trailed Mr. Moffett in Northern Kentucky, where he lost populous Kenton and Boone counties.
Other results were pretty much a sideshow. Incumbent Treasurer Todd Hollenbach, a Democrat, easily and deservedly won renomination for a second term. Gov. Steve Beshear lost a proxy fight with factional foe Jerry Lundergan, when the latter's daughter, Allison Lundergan Grimes, beat the Governor's appointee, Elaine Walker, in the Democratic race for secretary of state. The Democrats nominated a candidate for agriculture commissioner, Bob Farmer, who calls himself “Farmer Bob” but isn't a farmer. He'll face the GOP winner, state Rep. James Comer.
The big show will be Sen. Williams' effort to defeat Gov. Beshear and his running mate, former Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson. Sen. Williams doubtless will try to appeal to tea party voters — whose allegiance to establishment Republicans is not automatic — and show national contributors and party officials that he can win.
If he's successful, Republican money will flood into Kentucky, perhaps putting the race up for grabs. If not, he may face a long summer and fall.
Labels: News reporting
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