KY-2

U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth's (D-Louisville) race for the 3rd Congressional District is still the only U.S. House campaign in Kentucky on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's list for targeted television ad buys, even after the list was expanded by 20 in recent days.

Yarmuth's re-election effort against former U.S. Rep Anne Northup (R-Louisville) was included in the DCCC's initial target list of 31 races, for which the organization aims to buy ad time in September and October. The DCCC reportedly allocated $659,000 for ad buys in the 3rd District.

The liberal news outlet Talking Points Memo reported yesterday that the DCCC had expanded their list to include 20 more races, but none of the additions are in Kentucky.

According to reports, the DCCC has now allocated a total of $53 million towards ad buys for the 51 targeted races.

While some national political analysts seem to be taking longer looks at Kentucky's U.S. Senate race between incumbent Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) and businessman Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville), others are speculating another potentially competitive race in the Commonwealth may be done before it has really started.

In an article posted on Roll Call today, political analyst Stuart Rothenberg said Kentucky's 2nd Congressional District race "is over," unless state Senator David Boswell's (D-Owensboro) effort receives a major financial boost.

"Kentucky 2nd district hopeful David Boswell was promoted by some Democrats as a strong contender for retiring Rep. Ron Lewis' (R) open seat. Yes, said Democrats about the Owensboro-Bowling Green district, it's conservative, but the Democratic state Senator is a good fit for it," wrote Rothenberg today. "Well, Boswell's June 30 cash-on-hand total of $45,000 should end that talk. Republican nominee Brett Guthrie's $661,000 in the bank means that, barring a total turnaround of finances, this race is over."

As today's filing deadline for the second fundraising quarter passes, PolitickerKY.com has provided updates as numbers from candidates across the state become available. Below are links to our complete coverage, arranged by races.

US Senate:

Lunsford brings in $600K; $1.3M on hand

$3 million quarter and $9 million on hand for McConnell 

KY-1:

Whitfield stays over $1 million into 3Q

KY-2:

Drastically different financial pictures in KY-2 as Guthrie holds large cash-on-hand advantage 

Former Madisonville mayor Bill Cox is now serving as campaign manager for state Senator David Boswell's (D-Owensboro) bid to win the open 2nd Congressional District seat, Boswell's campaign confirmed this morning.

Cox joins Boswell's team after recently resigning as Commissioner of the Department of Revenue.

Former campaign manager Jim Cole will now move into an advisory role for the campaign.

Specualtion about Cox's tranistion to the position has been brewing since early this month, when WHAS-TV's Mark Hebert reported on an agreement between Cox and Boswell.

A fundraising advantage in the 2nd Congressional District race has been touted by state Sen. Brett Guthrie's (R-Bowling Green) campaign for months, but numbers reported today show just how dramatic an edge Guthrie has over his Democratic opponent, state Sen. David Boswell (D-Owensboro).

Guthrie's campaign will enter the third fundraising quarter with over $661,000 in cash-on-hand, after raking in $363,554 in contributions in the second quarter.

"I continue to be humbled by the outpouring of support my campaign has received," Guthrie said in a statement released by the campaign. "I have said all along I intend to run a campaign the people of the Second District can be proud of, and we are on pace to do just that."

Boswell, on the other hand, reported closing the second quarter with just over $45,000 on hand - and over $18,000 in campaign debt.

State Sen. Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green) has jumped on the air with a new radio ad blasting so-called “brain dead politics” as a contributor to high gas prices in the United States.

The candidate for the open 2nd Congressional District is up “across the district” with the ad, according to a campaign release.

During the ad – which clocks in at over a minute long – Guthrie targets “Washington” for failing to solve the gas price issue.

(Listen to the ad here, on Guthrie's campaign web site)

State Sen. David BoswellThe campaign of state Sen. David Boswell (D-Owensboro) is hoping the recent poll lead their candidate showed in the race for the open 2nd Congressional District seat can translate into national support for their efforts.

"It has helped maintain this race as a winnable one in the eyes of the DCCC," said campaign manager Jim Cole, referring to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee - the national organization that helps elect Democratic candidates to Congress that initially targeted the 2nd District race as a possible Democratic pick-up.

A SurveyUSA poll released last week showed Boswell with a 47 to 44 percent lead over fellow state Sen. Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green). Boswell's lead is within the margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percent, while 9 percent of respondents were "undecided."

The first indication of the climate in Kentucky's 2nd Congressional District may offer a boost to Democrats holding out hope of picking up the seat left open by the retirement of U.S. Rep Ron Lewis (R-Cecilia).

A new poll by the New Jersey-based firm SurveyUSA gives state Senator David Boswell (D-Sorgho) a 47 to 44 percent advantage over his colleague, state Senator Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green).

Nine percent of the 545 "likely" voters polled indicated they were undecided in the race, while the poll's margin of error is plus or minus 4.3 percent.

The results come after Guthrie's camp dispatched a memo yesterday saying any public polling done now would be "unreliable."

State Sen. David BoswellIn the public lull before the coming storm of campaign season, the candidates vying for the open 2nd Congressional District seat are balancing fundraising and their duties as state senators during this week's special legislative session.

Both contenders for the seat are scheduled to attend to their elected duties at legislators in Frankfort this week under the auspices of hammering out a final deal on pension reform. The special session is scheduled to last just the week, with draft legislation on pensions already agreed upon by House and Senate leadership.

Aside from those efforts, state Senator David Boswell (D-Sorgho) has scheduled a series of fundraisers culminating in a June 30 event in Daviess County hosted by state Rep. Tommy Thompson (D-Owensboro).

"We are just trying to raise money right now," said Jim Cole, Boswell's campaign manager.

Under the shadow of a potential special legislative session in Frankfort - should an agreement on pensions be reached by state legislators - the campaign of state Senator Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green) indicated its candidate wouldn't neglect his current job even as he seeks a new one - specifically the 2nd Congressional District seat for which he is the Republican nominee.

"Brett is State Senator for Warren and Butler Counties, and he will continue to provide leadership for his constituents as a member of the General Assembly," said Guthrie's campaign manager, Brian Smith.