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Headlines from Kentucky on the morning after the 2008 election…
McCain carries Kentucky by 16 points
Despite national wave of “change,” Kentucky incumbents persevere
McConnell comfortably defeats Lunsford in U.S. Senate race
Republican Guthrie wins Kentucky’s open Congressional seat
Congressmen Yarmuth, Chandler, Whitfield, Rogers & Davis win re-election
Republicans retain control of State Senate without losing a seat
State House Democrats maintain large advantage
U.S. Senate - Kentucky
Four-term incumbent U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R) has notched another victory in the Bluegrass State, defeating Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford by a margin of 53%-47%. McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, withstood an onslaught of national attention and advertising as polls showed a tightening race amid the economic turmoil. Lunsford, a Louisville businessman, was making his third attempt at statewide office and largely self-funded his multi-million-dollar campaign.
McConnell’s victory, along with others across the country, dashed the Democrats hope of a filibuster-proof majority in the U.S. Senate. Most importantly, when President-elect Obama is inaugurated in January, McConnell will assume the role as the highest ranking Republican in the nation.
U.S. House – Kentucky
In the 3rd Congressional District in Louisville, a rematch of the 2006 race between Democrat Congressman John Yarmuth and Republican Anne Northup yielded the same result. Yarmuth won his second term with ease, 59%-41%. Yarmuth, an ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, spent his freshman term building communitywide support and high regard with his new D.C. colleagues. Yarmuth was selected president of the freshman class two years ago. Look for Yarmuth to continue to catapult into leadership positions in Congress.
In the 2nd Congressional District of Western Kentucky, State Senator Brett Guthrie (R) defeated fellow State Senator David Boswell (D) by a 53%-47% margin. This is a Congressional open seat created by the retirement of Congressman Ron Lewis (R). Both Guthrie and Boswell ran as conservatives in this, Kentucky’s most conservative region, and the Democrat Boswell gave Guthrie a healthy race in a district in which the Republican Lewis won by consistently double-digit margins. Guthrie is a young executive with his family’s large auto parts manufacturing company.
In Kentucky’s other Congressional races, incumbent U.S. Reps. Hal Rogers (R), Ben Chandler (D), Geoff Davis (R) and Ed Whitfield (R) all easily won re-election.
Kentucky Senate
Despite a focused effort by Democrats, Senate Republicans held their strong majority in the State Senate, with a comfortable 22-15 margin (with one open seat), and an Independent who caucuses and votes with the Republicans. Perhaps most surprisingly, no incumbent of either party lost a race. Tuesday’s elections did give us three new members of the Senate as a result of two retirements and one resignation.
Meanwhile, the congressional win by State Sen. Brett Guthrie creates the need for a special election to fill that open seat. The special election is expected to be held by February, when the legislature starts its work in earnest.
The biggest surprise in the State Senate came in the hotly contested open seat for the 9th District. This race drew the attention of both state parties, including Democratic Governor Steve Beshear. Republican David Givens very easily held the seat in the GOP column despite early indications that Democrat Steve Newberry would flip the seat to the Democratic column. Newberry, a popular radio station owner and brother of Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry, appears to be the victim of a conservative onslaught in Kentucky that painted him as “out of touch” with the district, in part due to his pro-casino gaming position. Republican Givens’ win was also bolstered by big wins in the district by McCain and McConnell. Givens is an agriculture supply business owner.
Incumbent Republicans also retained two highly competitive seats. Senator Ken Winters (R) defeated former Congressman Carroll Hubbard in the 1st District of far Western Kentucky, and conservative stalwart Senator Jack Westwood (R) narrowly defeated Democrat Kathy Groob in a rematch of the 2004 election. Incumbent Winters, the Senate Education Committee Chairman, faced a vigorous challenge from Hubbard, a former Congressman ensnared in the House banking scandal in the 1990s; Hubbard was convicted, sentenced to three years, subsequently pardoned, and this was his second attempt to regain elected office. For the second straight election, Westwood held off Democrat Groob by a razor thin margin in the Republican stronghold of Northern Kentucky.
In other State Senate races of note:
•In the 13th Senate District vacated by longtime Democratic Sen. Ernesto Scorsone (who won election to the Circuit Court bench), Democrats retain that seat with unabashed liberal Kathy Stein. Stein, a state representative, is a private practice attorney who most recently served as chairwoman of the House Judiciary Committee.
•Incumbent Democrat Sen. Perry Clark handily defeated Republican Louisville Councilman Doug Hawkins.
•Incumbent Democrat Sen. Tim Shaughnessy easily defeated former State Rep. Bob Heleringer (R).
•Republican John Schickel of Union assumed the District 11 seat in May, winning a primary race for that seat to replace retiring Senator Dick Roeding (R). Schickel is a retired U.S. Marshal, former Boone County jailer and former city police officer.
KENTUCKY HOUSE
House Democrats picked up a net gain of one seat, extending their large margin to 65-35 in the state’s lower chamber. Again, most surprisingly, no incumbents lost. Democrats had expected to pick up three to four seats this election, but had to settle on less than that as John McCain and Mitch McConnell performed strongly, pulling conservative Kentucky voters into the Republican column.
With no incumbents losing, the only districts that changed parties occurred in races with an open seat (where Democrats saw their net gain of one seat overall):
•Republican Brent Houseman of Paducah defeated Democrat Zana Renfro in the 3rd District seat vacated by Democrat Frank Rasche (who left to accept a job in the executive branch). Houseman is a financial planner and the son of a prominent Paducah physician. This was the only net pickup by the Republicans.
•Democrat activist Martha Jane King of Lewisburg defeated Republican Tim Thompson in the 16th District, which was held for many years by retiring Republican insurance agent Sheldon Baugh.
•In the eastern part of the state, Democrat Kevin Sinnette defeated Republican Mike Stewart to replace retiring Republican John Vincent, a popular, moderate Republican attorney. Sinnette is an attorney in private practice and was the City of Ashland’s attorney for nearly two decades.
Other new members of the State House that held open seats for their party include:
•Democrat Wilson Stone won in the 22nd District, just south of Bowling Green. Stone is a farmer and long-time Allen County School Board member. He fills the seat vacated by retiring House Democratic Whip Rob Wilkey.
•Democrat Linda Belcher of Shepherdsville retains the seat that was held by her recently deceased husband, Larry Belcher. Mr. Belcher died unexpectedly in a car crash last month. Mrs. Belcher is a former school teacher and principal.
•Republican John “Bam” Carney of Campbellsville fills the seat vacated by retiring Rep. Russ Mobley (R). Carney is a public school teacher and coach.
•Democrat Kent Stevens of Lawrenceburg won the seat formerly held by Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-Democrat again Milward Dedman. Stevens defeated Dedman in the primary and was victorious in the general election. Stevens is a former school principal.
•Democrat Kelly Flood, a Lexington political activist and former Unitarian minister, replaces former Rep. Kathy Stein, who was elected to the State Senate.
•Democrat Fitz Steele of Hazard won a crowded primary in May, officially replacing Rep. Brandon Smith (R), who won a State Senate seat. Steele is a coal miner, conservationist and local community activist. (A Democrat won a special election for this seat last February, putting this seat in the Democrat column for the legislative session, but that person did not win the full term.)