Gov. Beshear adds Charles Booker to Administration
A familiar Democratic face is joining the administration of Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Kentucky. Former Democratic United States Senate nominee Charles Booker, of Louisville, has been tapped to head the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based Initiatives and Community Involvement, which was first established by former Governor Ernie Fletcher, R-Kentucky. “I am honored to join Gov. Beshear and...
Public Policy Polling in Kentucky with a Text Poll
Some Kentuckians are receiving text messages in an effort to rank Kentucky’s GOP primary field ahead of the May 16 primary election. The text survey begins by asking respondents if they will be voting in the primary, and if so which primary they will be voting in, Republican or Democratic. Public Policy Polling (PPP) is...
Alan Keck Turns Focus to COVID with First Video
Somerset Mayor Alan Keck is seeking some space in the 12-person GOP primary for governor with a video about his efforts to reopen during the COVID pandemic. In the nearly 4 minutes long video, Keck is setting his narrative as a leader from the beginning on COVID and the need for “parallel paths” to reopen...
A look at the Down Ticket Kentucky Primary Races
The main event has been lined up with a dozen Republicans filed to compete for their party’s nomination for governor, but down-ticket there are fewer primary races. The race for attorney general is pretty set for the General Election, with Republican Russell Coleman, the former United States Attorney facing Democratic Rep. Pamela Stevenson, a retired...
On the Move: McCarthy Strategic Solutions Adds Jeff Harper to their Team
Frankfort lobbying group McCarthy Strategic Solutions has added the former longtime director of public affairs at Kentucky Farm Bureau to their roster. McCarthy announced last week that Jeff Harper joined their staff as a principal. Harper worked as the director of the Public Affairs Division for the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation for more than a...
Lawmakers Move Measurers on Taxes and Juvenile Justice in First Week
From LRC Public Information Officer Mike Wynn: The Kentucky General Assembly kicked off the 2023 Regular Session this week by welcoming dozens of new lawmakers into the ranks and moderating the tempo somewhat in a nod to the traditional “short” sessions of the past. But even with the new members and measured pace, legislation on...
Al Cross: For better or worse, McConnell is consequential
The contrast was stark in the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. The east side was chaos, as the new, thin Republican majority in the House of Representatives failed to elect a speaker, the prerequisite for doing any other business. The west side was calm and comity, as Democrats kept nominal control of the Senate and its...
Michael Bowman Announces Campaign for State Treasurer
Democrats now have a candidate in the race for state Treasurer, with the reemergence of their candidate from the 2019 elections. Michael Bowman was the Democratic nominee in 2019 against the Treasurer Allison Ball. Bowman received more than 770,000 votes in the race garnering 39 percent of the vote. Ball is term-limited and seeking a...
Gov. Beshear: Future is Bright
Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Kentucky, laid out a rosy picture for Kentucky in his State of the Commonwealth address on Wednesday evening. Pointing to economic development success and record budget surplus, Beshear said he’s looking into the future as we move through some of our toughest days of pandemic recovery, and natural disasters. “In the Book...