David Boswell

MINNEAPOLIS – Over the course of both parties’ national conventions, there has been a consistent buzz among Kentucky’s delegations about the open-seat 2nd Congressional District race between state Sen. David Boswell (D-Owensboro) and state Sen. Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green).

In Denver - at the Democratic National Convention – Kentucky delegates lobbied the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and even U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) to work on behalf of Boswell.

Here in the Twin Cities for the Republican National Convention, Kentucky Republicans were voicing their support of Guthrie as well, who was in town campaigning.

“I think everyone really wants to help Brett,” said Gail Russell, Kentucky’s RNC national committeewoman. “Brett’s been here this week working hard, getting morale up, and raising some money.”

MINNEAPOLIS – The campaign of state Sen. Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green) has already benefitted from fundraisers headlined by the likes of the Vice President, the House Minority Whip, and the House Minority Leader. Now, at a national political convention for the first time, Guthrie says he is still surprised to find prominent national Republicans know about his effort to win the open 2nd Congressional District.

“It’s kind of surprising when you go by and you meet somebody and you say ‘I’m running for—‘ and they say ‘oh, we know exactly who you are,’ said Guthrie during an interview at the Republican National Convention.

“The national groups that are here are definitely focused on my race,” added Guthrie.

Guthrie told PolitickerKY.com he had met with several members of Congress and other political leaders interested in helping his campaign against state Sen. David Boswell (D-Owensboro) while also working on fundraising efforts during his trip north.

“I have met several people and talked about the race and focused on putting together the network and the financial resources to make sure we get our message out,” said Guthrie.

MINNEAPOLIS – Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan sounded confident that the U.S. Senate seat in his home state would remain in Republican hands.
The race between four-term incumbent Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) and Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville) is entering the final two months, with McConnell showing a double-digit lead in the latest public polling.

“We feel very good about Sen. McConnell,” Duncan told PolitickerKY.com during a brief interview in Minneapolis. “I think he’s in great shape right now.”

Other races in Duncan’s crosshairs included two contested U.S. House races in the Bluegrass state, in the 2nd and 3rd Congressional Districts.

The 3rd District race offers a rematch of the 2006 race that found long-time U.S. Rep. Anne Northup (R-Louisville) unseated by now-incumbent John Yarmuth (D-Louisville).

Duncan said Northup lost that time in part because of “circumstances beyond her control.”

“We have a good shot at that race,” said Duncan.

The last public polling in the district found Northup down by ten points, though her campaign did outraise Yarmuth’s in the second fundraising quarter.

Democrats – including national party chair Howard Dean – were talking up their chance of picking up a seat in Kentucky at their own party’s national convention last week, particularly pointing to the open 2nd Congressional District contest between state Sens. David Boswell (D-Owensboro) and Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green).

DENVER – Gov. Steve Beshear (D-Lexington) arrived in Denver yesterday in time to hear U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) speech before the Democratic National Convention in which she advocated for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

Although Kentucky went heavily for Clinton during the May 20 primary -- making the constitution of the state’s delegation lean toward Clinton -- Beshear says the state’s Democratic delegates will be ready to support Obama’s candidacy in the general election.

“This delegation is going to be unified for Obama this fall,” Beshear told PolitickerKY.com. “We had a hard-fought contest in Kentucky like we did all across the country and people feel very passionate about their candidates, but everybody I think is ready to come together now and get behind our ticket in the fall and really go after this election and push him across the finish line.”

Aside from rallying the delegation for the party’s nominee, Beshear said the convention gave key Democrats the chance to get excited about other Kentucky races.

DENVER – While a good deal of the political discussion among Kentucky Democrats and their counterparts from other states at the Democratic National Convention has touched on the state’s U.S. Senate contest, some delegates are continuing to push to get the 2nd Congressional District race more attention.

Owensboro Attorney and Obama delegate Charlie Moore and Hindman Attorney Bill Weinberg, a Clinton delegate, both said they discussed the open seat contest between state Sen. David Boswell (D-Owensboro) and state Sen. Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green) with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Cali.) at a party yesterday and planned to follow up on their discussion with her at another function today.

“She was receptive,” Moore said.

“I am excited about the potential of this race,” he added. “We want to do what we can to make sure that race is on the national radar and that it shines as bright as we can make it shine.”

DNC Chair Howard Dean speaks to Kentucky's delegates today: Politicker photo

DENVER -- As the surprise opening speaker at this morning's Kentucky delegation breakfast, Democratic National Committee chair Howard Dean spoke with familiarity about Kentucky politics, referencing races up and down the ballot and laying out strategic suggestions for the assembled delegates.

At the beginning of his remarks, Dean referenced the campaign of Democratic Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford as a priority for the state.

"He's in striking distance. How about that?" Dean asked about the challenger to incumbent U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville).

Lunsford was last shown 12 points behind McConnell in a mid-August poll, though his ability to self-finance his campaign has led many analysts to predict an ultimately competitive race.

Beyond that, Dean said another top priority for Kentucky Democrats was more local in scope.

"The first thing that people need - in addition to electing Bruce - is we really want to take back the state Senate," said Dean, referencing the state legislative body currently in Republican hands.

DENVER – Some Kentuckians at the Democratic National Convention are talking up the possibility of the party winning the open-seat race in the 2nd Congressional District.

State Auditor Crit Luallen (D-Frankfort) told PolitickerKY.com that she and Kentucky Democratic Party chair Jennifer Moore spoke with Brian Wolff, the executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, about the race between state Sen. David Boswell (D-Owensboro) and state Sen. Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green) at a Sunday night fundraising reception in Denver.

“Jennifer Moore -- and I was with Jennifer Moore -- we spoke to the executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee about the 2nd district, and encouraged their support and participation there,” said Luallen.

“They are very aware of that race. They see it as one that has real possibilities for pick-up,” she added. “So, I think that is one that people are watching.”

Luallen and Moore were not the only ones lauding Boswell’s chances in the 2nd. U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Louisville) referenced the race during his address at the Kentucky delegation’s breakfast today.

“We can win that 2nd district seat,” Yarmuth told the crowd of influential Kentucky Democrats. “David Boswell’s got a great chance.”

U.S. Rep. Ron Lewis (R-Cecilia), left, and 2nd Congressional District candidate Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green): Campaign photo

The campaign of state Senator Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green) says they now have the endorsement of current 2nd Congressional District incumbent Ron Lewis (R-Cecilia), following a joint appearance by the two at an event in Hardinsburg.

"This good man is going to Washington, and he's going to do a great job. This really is the most important election in my lifetime, and Brett Guthrie is a big key to making sure we have a voice for conservative values representing us in Congress," Lewis said, according to a statement from the Guthrie campaign.

On the January 29 candidate filing deadline this year, Lewis surprisingly announced he would retire after fourteen years representing the 2nd District in Congress, despite assurances to national Republicans that he would seek re-election.

His announcement was timed in an effort to ensure Daniel London, his chief of staff, would be the only Republican on the ballot. The Republican National Campaign Committee reportedly had prepared Guthrie for that very scenario, however, and the Bowling Green Republican filed his candidacy papers with literally minutes to spare.

Two weeks after the deadline passed, it seemed Guthrie and London would be pitted against each other in a Republican primary, but Lewis apologized to his constituents for his "poor judgment," while London withdrew from the race.

Thus, Lewis' endorsement of Guthrie for his seat carries some significance beyond that of a retiring incumbent endorsing his party's candidate to succeed him.

House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) is planning a late-August visit to Louisville to headline a fundraiser for 2nd Congressional District candidate and state Sen. Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green).

Blunt will be in Kentucky on August 27 for the event, though specific details are not yet confirmed. He is the latest high-profile national Republican to visit in support of Guthrie.

Earlier this year, both Vice President Cheney and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) appeared at seperate fundraising events for Guthrie.

Blunt's appearance will likely provide a further fundraising boost to Guthrie's 2nd District effort against fellow state Sen. David Boswell (D-Owensboro). Guthrie already showed a significant advantage over Boswell at the close of second quarter reports, showing over $660,000 in cash on-hand to Boswell's $45,000.

Former U.S. Sen. Candidate Greg Fischer (D-Louisville) will stay involved in Kentucky politics through the general election after all, following his announcement yesterday that he will serve as volunteer finance chair for state Senator David Boswell's (D-Owensboro) bid for the open 2nd Congressional District seat.

"David and I were doing a lot of campaigning in the same places during the Senate race," Fischer told PolitickerKY.com. "He has a great reputation and is a stand-up guy."Senate candidate Greg Fischer (D-Louisville): PolitickerKy.com photo

Fischer comes on board after Boswell has struggled in his fundraising battle against opponent and state Senator Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green).

At the close of the second fundraising quarter on June 30, Boswell had just $45,000 in cash on-hand compared to $661,000 for Guthrie.

Boswell was also outraised by his Democratic primary rival, Daviess County Judge/Executive Reid Haire (D-Owensboro).

Fischer, meanwhile, had some fundraising success in his own Democratic primary effort this year. His campaign rallied more contributions than that of the eventual Senate nominee, Louisville businessman Bruce Lunsford, with Fischer collecting over $800,000 in funds.