Gatewood Galbraith Is Courting TEA Party Support For Kentucky Governor's Race.
Galbraith reaching out to tea party activists
By ROGER ALFORD
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- With the tea party's candidate out of the governor's race, independent Gatewood Galbraith offered himself Monday as an alternative in a general election race against two big names in Kentucky politics.
The Lexington lawyer sees himself as the natural choice for tea party groups because he said he has been advocating their key issues, smaller government and less taxes, for three decades.
The tea party's original candidate, Louisville businessman Phil Moffett, lost in the Republican primary last week to state Senate President David Williams.
Galbraith said his candidacy offers tea party voters the option to choose a political outsider Nov. 8, rather than picking between Williams and Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, who was unopposed in his party's primary.
"I'm not a party candidate," he said. "I don't want an affiliation with any party. But I'd love tea party support."
Moffett declined to comment on Galbraith's candidacy, saying he will be meeting with tea party groups across the state before he decides whether to throw his support behind a candidate. However, some of his tea party supporters haven't ruled out supporting Galbraith.
"I think he's the most palatable of the three," said tea party activist Dawn Cloyd, a Lexington businesswoman who supported Moffett in the primary. "I have been hearing from a lot of people who will be voting for Gatewood."
Cloyd, who hasn't decided which, if any, of the remaining candidates to support, called the Galbraith campaign "a wildcard" in the three-way contest. "I do think that, for a lot of people, their votes are up for grabs right now," she said.
Galbraith, who is making his fifth run for governor, said he believes Williams and Beshear will be brutal to each other in the race, spending millions on TV attack ads and leaving voters itching for another option.
"My main issue is to return trust and integrity to the process," Galbraith said. "Both parties have been practicing the politics of retribution and the politics of confrontation, and somebody has to return us to the politics of achievement."
Galbraith's longstanding advocacy for legalizing marijuana has been an impediment to support from Republicans and Democrats in Kentucky. Galbraith complained Monday that political opponents throw his position on marijuana at him "like a brick" in every election.
"It's on the list of the things I'd like to see changed," Galbraith acknowledged Monday. "But, by far, it's not the main issue."
Galbraith's marijuana position isn't necessarily an obstacle to tea party support. One of the national architects of the tea party movement, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul of Texas, frequently talks about marijuana legalization, saying it is an issue that should be decided at the state level.
To win the race, Galbraith said he needs only 425,000 votes. At a time when social media can turn longshot candidates into contenders, he said he believes he can win by simply reminding voters that an independent governor who isn't concerned with partisan politics could bridge the divide between the Republican and Democratic parties.
"When it comes to the executive branch, we need an independent who doesn't care who gets credit for doing what is right," he said. "We want both parties to be successful."
By ROGER ALFORD
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- With the tea party's candidate out of the governor's race, independent Gatewood Galbraith offered himself Monday as an alternative in a general election race against two big names in Kentucky politics.
The Lexington lawyer sees himself as the natural choice for tea party groups because he said he has been advocating their key issues, smaller government and less taxes, for three decades.
The tea party's original candidate, Louisville businessman Phil Moffett, lost in the Republican primary last week to state Senate President David Williams.
Galbraith said his candidacy offers tea party voters the option to choose a political outsider Nov. 8, rather than picking between Williams and Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, who was unopposed in his party's primary.
"I'm not a party candidate," he said. "I don't want an affiliation with any party. But I'd love tea party support."
Moffett declined to comment on Galbraith's candidacy, saying he will be meeting with tea party groups across the state before he decides whether to throw his support behind a candidate. However, some of his tea party supporters haven't ruled out supporting Galbraith.
"I think he's the most palatable of the three," said tea party activist Dawn Cloyd, a Lexington businesswoman who supported Moffett in the primary. "I have been hearing from a lot of people who will be voting for Gatewood."
Cloyd, who hasn't decided which, if any, of the remaining candidates to support, called the Galbraith campaign "a wildcard" in the three-way contest. "I do think that, for a lot of people, their votes are up for grabs right now," she said.
Galbraith, who is making his fifth run for governor, said he believes Williams and Beshear will be brutal to each other in the race, spending millions on TV attack ads and leaving voters itching for another option.
"My main issue is to return trust and integrity to the process," Galbraith said. "Both parties have been practicing the politics of retribution and the politics of confrontation, and somebody has to return us to the politics of achievement."
Galbraith's longstanding advocacy for legalizing marijuana has been an impediment to support from Republicans and Democrats in Kentucky. Galbraith complained Monday that political opponents throw his position on marijuana at him "like a brick" in every election.
"It's on the list of the things I'd like to see changed," Galbraith acknowledged Monday. "But, by far, it's not the main issue."
Galbraith's marijuana position isn't necessarily an obstacle to tea party support. One of the national architects of the tea party movement, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul of Texas, frequently talks about marijuana legalization, saying it is an issue that should be decided at the state level.
To win the race, Galbraith said he needs only 425,000 votes. At a time when social media can turn longshot candidates into contenders, he said he believes he can win by simply reminding voters that an independent governor who isn't concerned with partisan politics could bridge the divide between the Republican and Democratic parties.
"When it comes to the executive branch, we need an independent who doesn't care who gets credit for doing what is right," he said. "We want both parties to be successful."
Labels: Independent, Kentucky politics, Tea party
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 6:38 PM
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