On Eve Of Event, Steve Beshear Wants To "Rain On" GOP's "Unity" Parade By Releasing Names Of Republican Supporters.

Democrat Beshear rolls out names of Republican supporters on eve of GOP unity rally
By Jack Brammer

FRANKFORT — The Democratic re-election campaign of Gov. Steve Beshear rolled out the names of 70 Republicans Friday who endorse him and said more names will be forthcoming.

The move by Beshear came on the eve of Saturday’s Republican unity rally at party headquarters in Frankfort.

Friday’s list of Republicans for Beshear and his running mate, former Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, included former Lt. Gov. Steve Pence, former Lexington Vice Mayor and restaurateur Michael Scanlon, several mayors and Jon Ackerson, a Louisville Metro Council member and a former state representative and GOP chairman of Jefferson County.

“When I ran in 2007, I pledged that I would support ideas to improve Kentucky, and that it didn’t matter if they were Democratic or Republican ideas, as long as they were good idea,” Beshear said in a statement. “I’ve followed through on that pledge, and I’ve also been willing to take on folks in both parties when I thought their ideas were wrong for Kentucky. ”

Ackerson said in a statement that Beshear “has risen above partisan politics to do what’s right for the people of Kentucky”

“He’s led by example in the area of fiscal responsibility, by balancing the budget nine times without raising broad-based taxes and he’s overseeing the smallest state government in a generation,” Ackerson said.

Beshear and Abramson face the Republican slate of state Senate President David Williams and Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer in the Nov. 8 general election.

Lexington attorney Gatewood Galbraith and his running mate, Frankfort political consultant Dea Riley, are trying to get 5,000 signatures to qualify to be on the November ballot.

The list of GOP supporters for Beshear also included: Gary D. Crenshaw, mayor of Lebanon; Edward Long, mayor of Harrodsburg; Phillip King, mayor of Bardwell; Fred Siegelman, mayor of Versailles; Richard Ammon, Burlington; Charles J. Baird, Pikeville coal operator; Kitty Baird, Pikeville activist; Thomas M. Baker, Bowling Green businessman and sportsman; Darrell Barrett, Booneville; Rosetta Bell, Dawson Springs; Toy Blair, former jailer of Johnson County; Caroline Boone, Lexington; Bill Britton, Louisville businessman; David Burkholder, Louisville;
Ray Carcione, Louisville businessman; John Clark, Ashland; Joseph Howey Creaghead, Fort Mitchell; Pat Donovan, Lexington; Evan Elliott, Dunmor; Laura Elliott, Dunmor; Terry Fields, Berea; Vivian Flynn, Lexington; Edward Fuller, Georgetown; David Garner, Simpsonville; Jacob Garner, Nancy; Norb Gettys, former Campbell County GOP chair; Lyle Goodman, Cecilia; Tasha Goodman, Cecilia; Richard Harrell, Union; Tim Haymaker, Lexington;
Sharyon Heavrin, Clarkson; Carl Hoskins, Manchester; Michael Houlihan, Louisville; Stacy Houlihan, Louisville; Dr. Robert Hughes, Murray; Dr. Joyce Hughes, Murray; Frank H. Ikerd III, Somerset; Jerry Ikerd, Somerset; Theodore Kuster, Paris; Norvie Lay, Louisville; Cheryl Lewis, Hyden; Tom Lund, Lebanon; James Miller, Paris; John Morton, Ashland; Jeanne Owens, Lexington; Michael Owens, Lexington; James Patterson, Somerset; Karen Paulin, Prospect;
Jennie Lou Penn, Frankfort; Laura Reese, Ashland; Tom Riddle, Versailles; Sarah Ridener, Strunk; Fred Sarver, Carlisle; Karen Sarver, Carlisle; Michael Sazy, Louisville; Tom Schifano, Louisville; Brad Sloan, Somerset; Frank Smith, Lexington; Debbie Spinner, Louisville; Kevin Stear, Lawrenceburg; Terrie Stear, Lawrenceburg; Dan Tayloe, Lexington; Russell Travis, Lexington; Frank Vaught, Somerset; Robert Willett, Louisville; Andrea Wilson, Inez; and Misdee Wrigley-Miller, Paris.