Steve Beshear Raises Nearly $10 Million For Re-election; Democratic Groups Raise Another $1.4 Million For Him. Dance To ABBA, Would You?

Democratic group raises $1.3 million to promote Beshear
Written by Tom Loftus and Joseph Gerth

An independent Democratic committee has raised $1.3 million from teachers unions, the Democratic Governors Association, racing interests and others to promote the re-election of Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear in November.

The group, called Kentucky Family Values, reported Wednesday that it has raised $1,302,500 since the May primary and spent $1,168,284.

And it disclosed that its money has come in big contributions from traditional supporters of Beshear, including $400,000 from the political action committee of the Kentucky Education Association; $500,000 from the Democratic Governors Association; $100,000 from the political action committee of the Jefferson County Teachers Association; and $50,000 each from the Keeneland and Turfway Park race tracks.

Kentucky Family Values is the type of independent campaign committee that can accept contributions of unlimited amounts from corporations, individuals and PACs.

In contrast, contributions by individuals or PACs to candidates’ campaign committees are limited to no more than $1,000. And corporations are banned by state law from making contributions to a candidate’s campaign committee.

Kentucky Family Values has run broadcast advertisements promoting Beshear and attacking his Republican opponent, Senate President David Williams, during the Nov. 8 general election campaign.

An independent Republican group, called Restoring America, reported last week that it also had raised about $1.3 million in its advertising campaign attacking Beshear and promoting Williams.

But Restoring America did not list its original contributors in its report filed with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance. Instead, it reported that its contributions came from “Restoring America Inc.” — technically a separate organization, though it lists the same address and top officers.

Beshear’s campaign, meanwhile, reported Wednesday that it has raised $4.1 million since the May primary, bringing his total to more than $9.5 million.

Williams, R-Burkesville, and independent candidate Gatewood Galbraith, a Lexington lawyer, have not filed their campaign finance reports with the registry. The filing deadline is today.

The Beshear campaign report said it has more than $1 million on hand and has purchased more than $1 million worth of television time in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 8 election.

Beshear started the general election campaign with a huge fundraising advantage because he raised more than $5 million during the primary but didn’t face any opposititon, allowing him to use that money as part of his general election effort.

Williams, on the other hand, raised less than $1.4 million in the primary and spent nearly all of it during a tough contest against Louisville businessman Phil Moffett.

Galbraith reported raising about $106,000 when he filed his last report with the registry. At the time, he had spent almost everything he had raised.

Beshear, who had a 31-point lead over Williams in the latest Courier-Journal/WHAS11 Bluegrass Poll, began running commercials in June and has been on the air ever since.

Williams, on the other hand, has had fundraising troubles. He went up on the air briefly around the beginning of August but hasn’t run ads since then.

Galbraith hasn’t yet aired any television commercials.

Editor's comment: Yes, dance away: