** UPDATE **
- The first challenger to enter the 2011 Kentucky governor's race will make the anouncement at 3pm today (Wednesday) first on WHAS11.com, then during a radio show in Lexington.
Viewers on WHAS11.com can watch the announcement and my interview with the candidate at 3pm.
- My original post listing potential gubernatorial candidates has been updated, below.
Amid much speculation and word of at least one Republican gubernatorial ticket emerging this week in Kentucky, here's a look at potential GOP candidates for the 2011 primary. Keep in mind that the filing deadline is not until January. Candidates with a better fund raising base and apparatus may wait until after the 2010 fall election before making any major moves.
David Williams
Speaking with me on Monday morning at the National Conference of State Legislatures in Louisville, Kentucky Senate President David Williams confirmed his interest in Kentucky's gubernatorial race by explaining that he had commissioned polling that showed hurdles he has to overcome with voters in Louisville and Lexington. Williams blamed negative coverage by the newspapers in those two cities, particularly concerning his opposition to expanded gambling.
Williams does not believe that the "Instant Racing" slot machine-like games just approved by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission are legal, but he does not plan to intervene in a lawsuit intended to test the legality. Williams indicated that he is ready for some other expanded gaming foe to take the lead on challenging the new game, in which a gambler predicts the trifecta of each race from a database of tens of thousands of races.
A majority of state lawmakers from both parties oppose expanded gambling at Kentucky racetracks. Yet, Williams - as arguably the most influential and outspoken legislator - is easily portrayed as the bogeyman in the debate.
On Wednesday, Williams confirmed to me what the Courier-Journal's Tom Loftus reports, that Williams has "spoken with Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer about becoming his running mate."
Williams, R-Burkesville, said Farmer was his guest Monday night at a dinner and private country music concert on the Louisville waterfront.
“We're still in discussion, we've been friends for a long time,” Williams said in an interview. “I admire the job he's done as commissioner of agriculture. And he's very interested in the future of this state and I am too.”
Williams appears to be holding fast to his stance when I asked him in February about a gubernatorial run:
"I'm focused on the legislative races. I'm a candidate for reelection for the state senate and half the state senate seats are up this time."
On Monday, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell lauded Williams leadership in a speech to the National Conference of State Legislatures, a convention McConnell says only came to Louisville after Williams aggressively recruited the organization. McConnell also explained WIlliams' role in reversing a less than stellar electoral performance by Republicans in Kentucky. In 2000, Williams became the first Republican to be elected President of the Kentucky Senate.
From the Courier:
“And I’ve spent the majority of my adult life in the legislature trying to advance the causes of education, economic development, and making Kentucky a competitive state,” Williams said. “I’m very interested in the future of Kentucky.”
Asked when he would decide on whether to enter the race, he noted that the deadline to file is in January.
Phil Moffett
The charter school advocate is the odds on favorite to emerge as the Tea Party oriented candidate in the Republican gubernatorial primary. Moffett has just resigned from the board of the Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy, a clear indication that he is clearing the way for a gubernatorial run.
WHAS11.com will reveal the Tea Party candidate at 3pm Thursday
Former Rand Paul U.S. Senate campaign manager, then chairman David Adams would not confirm Moffett but says the slate will be revealed on Thursday.
Page One Kentucky, which is always on top of Internet registrations, shows that Adams has just registered the domain name PhilMoffet.com.
Adams appeared primed to announce the GOP primary ticket earlier this month, but since then a number of names have been circulating as potential Lt. Governor candidates. The latest name is Danville Republican Representative Mike Harmon.
Insight Cable's Ryan Alessi reports:
...a website with the name MoffettHarmon.com was reserved Monday by an entity that has remained private by using a proxy, according to a search of domain names.
Bill Farmer
In that same post, Alessi reports yet another potential GOP ticket, with State Rep. Bill Farmer of Lexington and Rep. Adam Koenig of Erlanger.
Farmer and Koenig both confirmed their interest to cn|2 Politics on Tuesday after Farmer posted several messages on his Facebook page Monday hinting at “expanding political opportunities” in his future.
“I don’t hear anybody talking about tax reform. I don’t hear anybody looking at revenue sources that don’t raise taxes,” Farmer said. “We are stuck in a rut. People want new results.”
Mike Duncan
The former Republican National Committee Chairman has been increasingly vocal at local Republican events, sparking speculation that he is eying a possible run for governor. The Inez banker is rumored to be Mitch McConnell's choice, though it remains to be seen if gubernatorial primary voters would want such a handpicked, establishment choice.
Duncan's resume and powerful connections, however, command attention. He is the founding chairman of American Crossroads , a 527 that is part of a network of burgeoning groups associated with Karl Rove and other high level conservatives focused on Republicans reclaiming Congress and the White House.
The Washington Post's Who Runs Gov profile,of Duncan stresses that "Duncan knows every prominent Republican in Washington:"
As chairman of American Crossroad's, Duncan is working with Karl Rove (who he's known since college), and well-known GOP operatives Steven Law and Carl Forti.
Among Duncan’s allies are some of the biggest Republican money men in Washington. He has served on the campaigns of five presidents, including George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush (who calls him “Dunc”).
Duncan is particularly close with Kentucky’s most powerful Republicans, including Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.), whose 1998 Senate campaign Duncan ran, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who is a fervent supporter of Duncan as RNC chair. Upon Duncan’s 2006 appointment to the post, McConnell said “Quite simply, the RNC could not have selected a more talented man to serve as chairman."
Cathy Bailey
Like Duncan, Bailey is a prolific Republican fundraiser who has a friendship with McConnell. The former U.S. Ambassador to Latvia under President George W. Bush was considering entering the Republican primary for U.S. Senate when two of her grandsons were killed in a Christmas Eve fire that consumed her Glenview home. Bailey has quietly reentered the political world with her support of Rand Paul's candidacy, whom she endorsed in the final weeks of the primary campaign. Bailey helped to organize the $100,000 Paul fundraiser on Monday that featured former Florida governor Jeb Bush.
Bailey has not been formally named as Paul's finance chair, but her role in his campaign not only serves as a bridge for Paul to traditional Republican voters but a bridge for Bailey to Paul's grassroots base.
Trey Grayson
Term limits mean that Kentucky's Secretary of State either has to run for a different office or return to the private sector. It's anyone's guess if Grayson has the stomach at another statewide campaign after watching Rand Paul turn Grayson's commanding early lead in the Senate primary into a rout for Paul on election night. Grayson was seen as running a lackluster campaign, yet supporters see him as loyal, capable and ideally suited for governor.
Bill Johnson
If not for Rand Paul, the Todd County businessman and military veteran might have made more inroads with his Tea Party message in the Senate race. He has indicated an interest in running for governor, but the other GOP candidates have a much broader and wealthier fund raising base. State Senator Damon Thayer (R-Georgetown) was at one point considering joining a ticket with Johnson.
Jess Corell
Another Tea Party-esque potential candidate, Corell is the president of First Southern National Bank in Stanford. He has fought expanded gambling and has backed a number of candidates who agree. Earlier speculation about a Corell candidacy has since subsided.
Plus, the Lexington Herald-Leader's Jack Brammer mentions two other potential candidates:
Billy Harper
Paducah businessman Billy Harper, who unsuccessfully challenged Gov. Ernie Fletcher in 2007
Rob Rothenburger
Shelby County Judge-Executive
No Democrat has emerged yet to take on Beshear, but House Majority Leader Rocky, D-Sandy Hook, said many people have encouraged him to take a look at the race.
Gatewood Galbraith, a Lexington lawyer who has run unsuccessfully for governor four times, is running as an independent in the 2011 gubernatorial election. His running mate is Dea Riley, a political consultant in Frankfort who has managed several campaigns in the state.
