Poll:
Who is your pick for Ky. Senator?
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- A crowded field of candidates will vie for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Jim Bunning.
By the filing deadline Tuesday, six Republicans and five Democrats had entered the race, including the state's lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general and the son of a former GOP presidential candidate.
University of Kentucky political scientist Stephen Voss said the number of top-tier candidates "is a sign of the healthy divide in the state and the viability of both parties."
Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo and Attorney General Jack Conway are among the Democratic candidates. Secretary of State Trey Grayson and Bowling Green physician Rand Paul, son of former GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul, are the perceived front-runners on the Republican side.
Bunning, a Republican enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame after a long career as a major league pitcher, opted to retire rather than seek a third term. Voss said Bunning's decision opened the door for ambitious politicians.
"You have a lot of potential leaders who are just waiting for their opportunity, and the coming retirement announces that here's an opportunity," he said.
None of the state's six U.S. representatives drew primary election opponents, but all will face challengers in the general election.
U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler, D-Lexington, drew six Republican opponents, including Frankfort businessman Mike Templeman and Lexington lawyer Andy Barr, both of whom are considered strong contenders for the 6th District seat.
GOP stalwart Larry Forgy said Chandler will have two factors against him in the general election: a central Kentucky electorate unhappy with President Barack Obama and national Democrats, and an eventual Republican challenger who will have the financial backing of a coal industry angry about the incumbent's stand on mountaintop removal mining and "cap-and-trade" energy legislation.
"He's as vulnerable as he's going to get for a while," Forgy said of Chandler.
Voss said the lack of primary opposition could actually bode well for Chandler and other incumbent U.S. representatives.
"It's usually a sign that they've done something right," Voss said. "When they mess up, when there's a scandal, or when they do a bad job representing the people back home, a primary challenge arrives very quickly."
In the state legislature, 39 House incumbents and two Senate incumbents drew no opposition, and even one first-time candidate for a vacant House seat is running unopposed. All 100 seats in the House would have been up for grabs as would have 19 Senate seats.
At least seven state legislators opted not to seek re-election, including Senate Democratic Floor Leader Ed Worley of Richmond who has served about 12 years in Frankfort.
Although Kentucky is predominantly a Democratic state, Republican candidates outnumber Democrats overall in this year's elections, 143 to 128.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
