Gatewood Galbraith

WLEX-TV in Lexington is reporting that Gatewood Galbraith, a Lexington resident, has died at 64. Galbraith has been a perennial candidate for governor and an often outspoken advocate for the legalization of marijuana. Dea Riley, his running mate in the the 2011 governor's race, released the information about Galbraith's death. No word yet on the cause of death. Nothing had been posted on Galbraith's campaign website at press time. Galbraith was an attorney and a native of Carlisle.

During a campaign stop in Clark County on Thursday, gubernatorial candidate Gatewood Galbraith called on Democrats to elect new party leadership this May. The Lexington attorney, who is running as a Democrat with engineer Mark Wireman of Paintsville, met with local officials and appeared at an event for Clark and Madison County campaign volunteers as part of his strategy to visit all of Kentucky's 120 counties this election season. He cautioned that Gov. Ernie Fletcher could win re-election if the party fails to change its image.

Dear Editor: While reading Herb Brock's column Monday, it came to me that the coming attorney general election would be a good time for people to show the politicians that the people are still in charge. By that, I mean just elect Gatewood Galbraith. All it would take is word of mouth passed along. It could cascade. James Tewmey Harrodsburg

With Gatewood Galbraith's passing last week we have lost not only a colorful and intelligent political voice but one of only a few men of conscience willing to stand for political office. Almost everyone knew Galbraith better than I, but few have written about what his passing means to the body politic, happier to recount funny stories about Kentucky's “perennial candidate” or highlight his advocacy of the legalization of both hemp and marijuana and thereby, either consciously or subconsciously, diminishing his importance.

Dear Editor: Boy, did Herb (Brock) get it right! I decided to comment on his article after I stopped laughing. I am originally from Maine and have lived in Kentucky for 33 years now, mostly in Boyle County. Please, somebody stop the govenor from changing any more names. I think "The Blue Grass Parkway" says it all. It's part of what Kentucky is. Martha Layne Collins doesn't "speak" to me at all. As for Gatewood Galbraith, the less said, the better. Personally , I like the idea of turning right at Tommy Thompson's two-holer.

Gatewood Galbraith. Regardless of the fact that he keeps placing a strong second in numerous polls, and even first in a few of them, he seems limited to one sentence just mentioning his name at the end of campaign articles. They fear anyone who really does want to change things or wants to give the power back to the people, such as Gatewood does. Any chance of breaking away from the nation splitting two-party system immediately gets swept aside for fear of shaking up the status quo. I strongly urge everyone to remember that you are an individual when you step into that booth, with an independent mind and thoughts.

A bright star in Kentucky's political galaxy has gone dim with the passing of Gatewood Galbraith. Gatewood always was identified as a “perennial candidate” for statewide office, which he was. But pundits and opponents alike also often described him as a clown, which he wasn't. The Lexington attorney was one of the most intelligent and articulate political candidates of his generation, and he also was one of the most outspoken advocates for issues about which he cared. And he expressed his views, some of which I shared while others I didn't, with an attention-getting mix of passion and wit, whether it was on the stump or in a radio studio.

At 60 years old, Gatewood Galbraith has a long history with Kentucky politics, even though he's never been elected to an office. This time, he may be more confident than ever. Galbraith has once again entered his name into the governor's race, one of seven in the Democratic primary. He is making the rounds, he says, through all 120 counties. He wants to make it clear that he has much more than hemp on his platform. Galbraith has gained a reputation as a promoter of the use of hemp for everything from clothing to fuel.

kwasson@jessaminejournal.com Democrat Steve Beshear garnered enough votes statewide to clear the 40 percent hurdle Tuesday, avoiding a runoff vote and earning his party's gubernatorial nomination. The Clark County resident took 39.3 percent of the Democratic vote in Jessamine County. He will face incumbent Gov. Ernie Fletcher in November. "We have sent a clear message tonight, and that message is: it is time for some bold, experienced, efficient and honest leadership in Frankfort for a change," Beshear said in his acceptance speech Tuesday night in Frankfort.

This year’s governor’s race promises to be a robust one, with five candidates vying for the state’s top office. Following one of the most politically contentious mid-term elections in a generation, the contest will be a referendum on the job performance of the Democratic incumbent, Gov. Steve Beshear, who has a new running mate this time, Louisville’s former “mayor for life,” Jerry Abramson. Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo’s relationship with Beshear has suffered since he made some uncharitable remarks about the governor during an unsuccessful Senate race last year, and it remains to be seen whether he has a political future.

With Gatewood Galbraith's passing last week we have lost not only a colorful and intelligent political voice but one of only a few men of conscience willing to stand for political office. Almost everyone knew Galbraith better than I, but few have written about what his passing means to the body politic, happier to recount funny stories about Kentucky's “perennial candidate” or highlight his advocacy of the legalization of both hemp and marijuana and thereby, either consciously or subconsciously, diminishing his importance.

A bright star in Kentucky's political galaxy has gone dim with the passing of Gatewood Galbraith. Gatewood always was identified as a “perennial candidate” for statewide office, which he was. But pundits and opponents alike also often described him as a clown, which he wasn't. The Lexington attorney was one of the most intelligent and articulate political candidates of his generation, and he also was one of the most outspoken advocates for issues about which he cared. And he expressed his views, some of which I shared while others I didn't, with an attention-getting mix of passion and wit, whether it was on the stump or in a radio studio.

WLEX-TV in Lexington is reporting that Gatewood Galbraith, a Lexington resident, has died at 64. Galbraith has been a perennial candidate for governor and an often outspoken advocate for the legalization of marijuana. Dea Riley, his running mate in the the 2011 governor's race, released the information about Galbraith's death. No word yet on the cause of death. Nothing had been posted on Galbraith's campaign website at press time. Galbraith was an attorney and a native of Carlisle.

Hoping the fifth times a charm, Gubernatorial Candidate Gatewood Galbraith visited Lincoln County Monday to raise interest in his independent run for Governor of Kentucky. Galbraith ran for governor as a Democrat three times and once on the Reform Party ticket, he has also run for Congress twice and once for Attorney General. He lunched with the Lincoln County Rotarians at the Depot Restaurant in Stanford on Monday and brought a message that the two national parties are too deeply locked in conflict with each other to conduct the taxpayers business.

In their final encounter before next Tuesday's election, a debate televised statewide on Halloween, the candidates for governor ramped up their attacks and developed deeper contrasts on a range of issues. Republican state Sen. David Williams called Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear “the most ineffectual governor in history,” while Beshear blamed his failures on Williams' “obstructionist kind of politics” as president of the Senate, and Lexington lawyer Gatewood Galbraith said the two party nominees showed why Kentucky needs an independent governor.

Thanks WMU for customer service Dear Editor, I would just like to thank Kim Ritchie and Mike Flynn of the Winchester Municipal Utilities Company for taking the time out to personally call me regarding my issue with my water bill and for showing empathy and compassion for this matter. I really appreciated it. I felt the need to publicly let everyone know that they did care about my issue. We always publicly announce the bad things, I thought it would be good to announce the good thing.

Gatewood Galbraith. Regardless of the fact that he keeps placing a strong second in numerous polls, and even first in a few of them, he seems limited to one sentence just mentioning his name at the end of campaign articles. They fear anyone who really does want to change things or wants to give the power back to the people, such as Gatewood does. Any chance of breaking away from the nation splitting two-party system immediately gets swept aside for fear of shaking up the status quo. I strongly urge everyone to remember that you are an individual when you step into that booth, with an independent mind and thoughts.

FRANKFORT - It's still July, but the race for governor has begun in earnest, with the incumbent and his main challenge on paid TV so much, and targeting the same audiences, that their ads occasionally run back to back. Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear and Republican state Senate President David Williams have had what amounted to their first debate, before the Kentucky Farm Bureau board, and Saturday they will headline the political speaking at the annual Fancy Farm Picnic in Graves County.

Gatewood Galbraith is sitting at a table beneath the pavillion at Terrapin Hill Farm with his running mate, Dea Riley, when a young man with longish hair in a tye-dye shirt stops by uninvited and pushes a pipe full of pot in Galbraith’s direction. “You wanna spark this, man?” the dude asks. “No thank you. I’m doing an interview right now,” Galbraith responds politely. “But I appreciate the offer.” It’s not the kind of scene you could even imagine taking place at a Steve Beshear rally or a David Williams fundraiser, but is par for the course that Galbraith has set for himself as he makes one more run to become governor of Kentucky.

This year’s governor’s race promises to be a robust one, with five candidates vying for the state’s top office. Following one of the most politically contentious mid-term elections in a generation, the contest will be a referendum on the job performance of the Democratic incumbent, Gov. Steve Beshear, who has a new running mate this time, Louisville’s former “mayor for life,” Jerry Abramson. Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo’s relationship with Beshear has suffered since he made some uncharitable remarks about the governor during an unsuccessful Senate race last year, and it remains to be seen whether he has a political future.