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Election Day: Here's the lineup for Kentucky primary races

May 16, 2011|Sun staff report

A Kentucky governor’s race is usually a major political event, but judging by the few absentee ballots that have been cast, county and state election officials are expecting turnout to be light in Tuesday’s primary election.

One reason is that so many of the candidates on the ballot are uncontested in their primaries.
Gov. Steve Beshear has no opposition for re-election on the Democratic ticket, nor does another incumbent, Attorney General Jack Conway. Conway’s Republican opponent, Todd P’ Pool, is also unopposed in his party’s primary, and so are the Democratic candidate for state auditor, Adam Edelen, and the Republican candidate for treasurer, K.C. Crosby.

Most attention has focused on the Republican contest for governor. Senate President David Williams has maintained a huge lead in fundraising and advertising, and is therefore the presumed frontrunner. The other GOP gubernatorial candidates are Louisville businessman Phil Moffett, who is closely associated with the tea party movement, and Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw.

The candidates for governor run as part of a ticket with candidates for lieutenant governor. Williams’ running mate is Commissioner of Agriculture Richie Farmer, Moffett’s is state Rep. Mike Harmon of Danville, and Holsclaw’s is a retired Navy officer and schoolteacher, Bill Vermillion Jr.
Beshear’s choice for lieutenant governor is former Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, who will succeed current Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo if elected in November.

There will also one independent ticket for the November race, Gatewood Galbraith and Dea Riley.
The race that has attracted the largest number of candidates is that for commissioner of agriculture: seven. In the Republican primary, Shelby County Judge-Executive Rob Rothenburger and state Rep. James Comer of Tompkinsville are vying for the nomination. On the Democratic side, the candidates are former Montgomery County Judge-Executive B.D. Wilson; John Lackey of Richmond, a lawyer, farmer and former state legislator; businessman and farmer Robert Farmer, Stewart Gritton, who has worked for the state Department of Agriculture, and David Williams, a perennial candidate from Glasgow.

In the Republican contest for secretary of state, Hilda Legg, a consultant and former official in the administration of President George H.W. Bush, faces Bill Johnson, a substitute teacher.

On the Democratic side, Secretary of State Elaine Walker, who was appointed by the governor to finish the term of Trey Grayson after he left the state government last year for the private sector, is opposed by business attorney Alison Lundergan Grimes, daughter of former Democratic Chairman Jerry Lundergan.
State Treasurer Todd Hollenbach is opposed by Steve Hamrick, a Hopkinsville businessman and former local official, in his bid for re-election in the Democratic primary, and there is no contest for treasurer on the Republican side.

State Rep. Addia Wuchner of Burlington is running against Lexington home builder John T. Kemper III for the Republican nomination for state auditor of public accounts, and there is no primary race on the Democratic side.

Polls are open Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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