House races
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The Republican executive committees of Cumberland, Green, Metcalfe and Monroe counties named Bart Rowland the GOP nominee for the special election. Rowland, a Tompkinsville insurance agent, will face Democrat Barry Dean Steele, of Knob Creek, who was selected Monday night by the Democratic parties. Steele is a retired dairy farmer and former Metcalfe County commissioner and former county magistrate.
The district is a GOP stronghold, and Comer has held the seat for almost a dozen years.
As of Monday evening, Steele had not filed to run in the May primary for a full term, but Rowland had. He has drawn three GOP challengers so far, and a couple other people are said to be interested in the seat.
The other Republicans who have filed so far are: Charles Kirby Copas, of Tompkinsville; Freddy Harbison, of Edmonton; and Jeremy Wright, of Burkesville.
Copas is an insurance agent at Tompkinsville Insurance Agency and is co-chairman of Monroe County Cares, an organization that works to reduce substance abuse.
Harbison is a teacher and the athletics director for Metcalfe County High School. He told the Glasgow Daily Times he decided to run at the urging of his students.
Wright is an auctioneer and real estate broker.
In addition to the four Republicans, former Metcalfe County Judge-Executive Donnie Butler, a Republican, may be interested in running.
Democrat Jim Sidebottom, of Green County, is said to be entertaining a race. Sidebottom was named 2011 Farmer of the Year in December by the Kentucky Farm Bureau.
Open Seats – So far
State Rep. Mike Cherry, D-Princeton, has said he will not seek another term representing the 4th District. Cherry, who first was elected in 1998, is chairman of the House State Government Committee.
So far, the only official candidate in this race is Republican Lynn Bechler, of Marion. Bechler is retired from IBM, and he is a certified as a manufacturing engineer with the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
It’s likely he will face a Democratic challenger, but we haven’t heard any names yet.
State Rep. Fred Nesler, D-Mayfield, also has declined to seek re-election. Nesler won his first election to the 2nd District seat in 1992, and he serves as a vice chairman of the Appropriations and Revenue Committee.
Unlike in the 4th District, there’s a longer list of people interested in this seat, and there’s certain to be a contested primary election.
Two Democrats and two Republicans have filed to run for the seat. The Democrats are Arthur Byrn, of Mayfield, an insurance agent and former mayor of Mayfield, and Kelly Whitaker, of Hickory, a pharmacist and member of the Graves County School Board.
On the GOP side, Patrick Fisher and Richard Heath, both of Mayfield, have filed.
Fisher is a contractor for the Department of Energy’s environmental clean-up at United States Enrichment Corp., and Heath is owner of Heath Building Materials in Mayfield.
Potential Rematches
At least three contests are lining up to be potential rematches. Of course, other candidates still could enter the race, win and push one of the “rematchers” out of contention.
In Louisville’s 46th District, state Rep. Larry Clark, a Democrat, could face Republican Brian Simpson again. Simpson lost to Clark in 2010 by an even 1,700 votes despite heavy spending by an education PAC on Simpson’s behalf. In that election, the Jefferson County Teachers Association’s PAC, Better Schools Kentucky, spent $199,000 in independent expenditures, backing Simpson over the incumbent Clark.
On his 2011 annual report to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, Clark reported having nearly $100,000 cash on hand heading into this election. Simpson reported a bit less than $600 for the same period.
It is early, of course, in the fundraising game for all candidates.
Clark is a union electrician and serves as speaker pro tem of the House. Simpson works for UPS and is a Teamster.
A second rematch – with a twist – is shaping up in Louisville as well. In the 37th District, state Rep. Wade Hurt faced Jeffery Donohue in the 2010 general election race for the then-open seat. At the time, Hurt was a Republican and Donohue a Democrat.
But in 2010, they didn’t get to run against each other: Donohue was determined to be ineligible to run after District Judge Fred Cowan ruled that a petition to place his name on the ballot did not contain enough valid signatures. With Donohue’s ineligibility, Hurt ran unopposed for the seat.
Now, Donohue is a Democrat, and so is Hurt, which means the pair could face each other in the May primary rather than in the November general election.
Hurt is a conceal carry weapons instructor, and Donohue is a union negotiator at Ford Motor Co.
On his annual report, Hurt had $214 cash on hand; Donohue reported a balance of just over $8,000.
In central Kentucky yet a third rematch is shaping up. Former state Rep. Charlie Hoffman, a Georgetown Democrat, wants the 62nd District seat back. He has filed to run against state Rep. Ryan Quarles, R-Georgetown. Quarles, a farmer and lawyer, defeated Hoffman in 2010 by fewer than 300 votes. Before that defeat, Hoffman, a butcher, had held the seat since 1996.
On his annual report, Hoffman reported a balance of about $230, while Quarles reported almost $4,000.
Democrats still hold the majority in the House, 59 to 40 Republicans, with one open seat (Dist. 53).
Forty-three incumbents had filed for re-election as of Jan. 9. They are:
• Kevin Bratcher, R-Louisville
• Thomas J. Burch, D-Louisville
• Denver “Denny” Butler, D-Louisville
• Dwight Butler, R-Harned
• John “Bam” Carney, R-Campbellsville
• Larry Clark, D-Louisville
• Hubert Collins, D-Wittensville
• Tim Couch, R-Hyden
• Jesse Crenshaw, D-Lexington
• Ron Crimm, R-Louisville
• Bob Damron, D-Nicholasville
• Jim DeCesare, R-Rockfield
• Mitchel B. Denham Jr., D-Maysville
• C.B. Embry Jr., R-Morgantown
• Joe Fischer, R-Fort Thomas
• Kelly Flood, D-Lexington
• David W. Floyd, R-Bardstown
• Dennis Horlander, D-Louisville
• Joni Jenkins, D-Louisville
• Dennis Keene, D-Wilder
• Thomas Kerr, R-Taylor Mill
• Kim King, R-Harrodsburg
• Martha Jane King, D-Lewisburg
• Jimmie Lee, D-Elizabethtown
• Mary Lou Marzian, D-Louisville
• Donna Mayfield, R-Winchester
• Thomas McKee, D-Cynthiana
• Charles Miller, D-Louisville
• Terry Mills, D-Lebanon
• Brad Montell, R-Shelbyville
• Rick Nelson, D-Middlesboro
• Darryl Owens, D-Louisville
• Ruth Ann Palumbo, D-Lexington
• Rick Rand, D-Bedford
• Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green
• Carl P. Rollins II, D-Midway
• Sal Santoro, R-Florence
• John W. Short, D-Hindman
• Rita Smart, D-Richmond
• Fitz Steele, D-Hazard
• Wilson Stone, D-Scottsville
• Ben Waide, R-Madisonville
• Susan Westrom, D-Lexington
Laura Cullen Glasscock may be reached at glasscock@kentuckygazette.com or (800) 462-6204.