John Yarmuth

The Kentucky delegation to the RNC scored big this week, and if Anne Northup's absence is any indication, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth has reason to be cautiously optimistic, too. Bruce Lunsford finally gets a debate with U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, but will anyone see it? See all of this week's Winners & Losers. | CLICK HERE

MINNEAPOLIS – The last public polling in Kentucky’s 3rd Congressional District contest between incumbent U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Louisville) and former U.S. Rep. Anne Northup (R-Louisville) found Northup cutting Yarmuth’s lead from 17 to 10 points. Now, a month after the latest polling, Kentucky Republicans say Northup has a tough race ahead of her to regain the seat she lost from Yarmuth in 2006

“Anne’s got a much more difficult race than (state Sen.) Brett (Guthrie) does because of Jefferson County, not because of her opponent,” said U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Southgate), briefly referencing Guthrie’s (R-Bowling Green) bid for the 2nd district.

“Its 68 percent Democrat,” said Bunning of the 3rd District. “It’s much more difficult for Anne to recapture that seat.”

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).

Former U.S. Rep. Anne Northrup

MINNEAPOLIS -- Former U.S. Rep. Anne Northup (R-Louisville) will not be attending this week's Republican National Convention in Minneapolis, according to the state Republican Party.

At the June state Republican convention, Northup was selected as an "at-large" delegate to the RNC.

Northup is engaged in a race to regain the 3rd Congressional District seat she lost in 2006, facing freshman U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Louisville) again this year, with the roles reversed.

Ballot access for 3rd Congressional District Libertarian candidate Edward Martin has been challenged by Brad Cummings, the chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party.

Martin submitted the requisite number of petition signatures to place his name on the ballot, but he is also a registered Republican – a status that may threaten his candidacy as a libertarian.

The challenge will go before a judge, who will consider its legal viability. The Libertarian Party, however, aims to contest the challenge.

"We've got a Supreme Court case, I've just got to find a lawyer," said Libertarian Party chair Ken Moellman.

DENVER -- U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Louisville) will be hitting national television airwaves tomorrow as he is scheduled to make an appearance on the MSNBC program "Hardball."

The popular political program, hosted by Chris Matthews, will be taped in Denver, the host town of the Democratic National Convention.

It is scheduled to air tomorrow at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET.

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.

U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Louisville) at this morning's breakfast: Politicker photo

DENVER – U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Louisville) framed the significance of the 2008 election in no uncertain terms during his address to the Kentucky Democratic National Convention delegation this morning.

“This literally is life or death. There are 4,100 Americans who gave up their lives because of a Republican president; a miscalculation, dishonesty and totally poor judgment about what should happen around the world and what our role was,” said Yarmuth, referencing the casualty figures from the war in Iraq. “We can’t afford another four years of the policies of George Bush.”

“I don’t think people realize how much damage they have done,” added Yarmuth. “We have got a lot of work to do.”

Yarmuth also bemoaned contemporary politics within Kentucky, pointing to the work of the last legislative session as seriously flawed.

“Because of what that General Assembly did this year, people are going to die,” said Yarmuth. “I am not mincing words. We have got tons at stake.”

DENVER -- The whirlwind of activity surrounding the Democratic National Convention will find Kentucky's delegation all over Denver today, with events capped off by a party jointly hosted by those from the Bluegrass state, Ohio, and Alabama.

Delegates started the day this morning with their daily breakfast at their downtown Denver hotel.

Keynoting today's meeting was U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, who blasted the Bush administration as a galvanizing force to unify Democrats across the nation.

Kentucky Democratic Party chair Jennifer Moore emceed the event and announced that, during each day's breakfast, she would highlight a different set of races. Today she spoke about Kentucky's state Senate races.

Much of the Kentucky Democratic delegation was also in attendance, including Attorney General Jack Conway (D-Louisville), Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo (D-Hazard), Louisville attorney and Obama fundraiser Matthew Barzun, former party chairs Terry McBrayer and Jerry Lundergan, state Auditor Crit Luallen (D-Frankfort), and several Louisville metro council members.