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A note about that poll showing the race tied
A recent Emerson College poll showed the Kentucky governor’s race as a tie between Andy Beshear and Daniel Coleman. Immediately, everyone’s hair was on fire. Well, I’m here to provide a little fire extinguisher. Polling Kentucky is hard – we all know that. And, it’s gotten harder...
Beshear draws large crowd in western Kentucky
Gov. Andy Beshear drew a big, boisterous crowd for his Paducah fundraiser Friday evening at Walker Hall Events Center, a stone’s throw from the Ohio River. Not surprisingly, almost everybody who showed up was a Democrat, many of them longtime party activists. But the gathering included some local Republicans, including a McCracken County commissioner. (Paducah is the county seat.)
‘There is only one candidate for workers in Kentucky and that’s Andy Beshear.’
Union members and union allies, notably from the Kentucky Education Association, helped swell the big and boisterous crowd at Gov. Andy Beshear’s Paducah fundraiser Friday evening. Here is a sampling of support for the governor who was endorsed by the Kentucky State AFL-CIO and by KEA:. Gov. Beshear has...
Clardy on the Cameron ads
Murray State University historian Brian Clardy isn’t surprised that Republican Attorney Gen. Daniel Cameron, the guy who wants Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s job, is angry over ads that warn “all skinfolk ain’t kinfolk,” and urge Kentuckians to reelect the incumbent. “Skinfolk ain’t kinfolk” is based...
Among all the candidates, which will get the most votes?
Perhaps the most telling TV commercial of this year’s campaigns comes from Secretary of State Michael Adams, the only Republican running for re-election. The 30-second ad begins by showing the top of the ballot, where the slates for governor and lieutenant governor are unmarked. It then goes to the second race, marking Adams as the choice over former state Rep. Buddy Wheatley.
The race America should be watching
The London-based Independent says the Kentucky governor’s race is “the one election you’re not watching – but should be” because it’s a “harbinger of America's future.”. The online newspaper emanates from Britain’s capital, not from the Laurel County seat. If Gov. Andy...
How much is an end to violence worth?
As the budget talks in Washington resume, I have found myself wondering at the myriad of items we spend money on. From something as complex and costly as the Pentagon to those as simple as national parks and monuments, it’s a massive list. I sit on the board of...
A major open-records decision: the Court got it right
Open government advocates are inclined to rhapsodize about every judicial victory that advances the cause of public agency accountability and defeats government secrecy. But it is nearly impossible to overstate the importance of the Court of Appeals’ October 27 opinion in Kentucky Open Government Coalition v Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Commission.
Answers in Genesis: an expensive violation of church and state separation
The Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky has developed into quite an enterprise. When it first opened it was granted numerous concessions from the Kentucky State Government despite the fact that it was never presented as anything but a religious endeavor. It also received numerous perks from Grant County and the city of Williamstown. The Ark Encounter presently receives $1.825 million every year from Kentucky Tourism as part of the state’s sales tax rebate program.
Planned Parenthood endorses ‘Colonel Pam’ for AG
Planned Parenthood Action Kentucky (PPAK) is proud to endorse Representative Pam Stevenson for Kentucky Attorney General. A Louisville native, Air Force Colonel and attorney, and sitting State Representative, Stevenson has the experience and commitment Kentuckians need to fight the aggressive anti-abortion attacks from the Republican-led State Legislature. A statement from...
Fact check: Evidence supports Democrats’ case that Joe Biden made a personal loan to his brother
On October 20, House Oversight Committee chairman Rep. James Comer released a video raising questions about a 2018 personal check to Joe Biden from his brother James Biden and James’ wife Sara Biden, which had the words “loan repayment” written on the front. Comer said he would view the $200,000 check to Joe Biden as “troubling” even if it was a loan repayment, since it came on the same day that James Biden received $200,000 from a struggling health company he did business with.
New speaker has worn his evangelical beliefs on his sleeve, but tries to assure moderates that they are part of his team
New House Speaker Mike Johnson, who represents a 41-percent rural district in northwest Louisiana, “is known for placing his evangelical Christianity at the center of his political life and policy positions” and “has expressed skepticism about some definitions of the separation of church and state, placing himself in a newer cohort of conservative Christianity that aligns more closely with former President Donald J. Trump and that some describe as Christian nationalism,” write Annie Karni, Ruth Graham and Steve Eder of The New York Times. “Now, as the most powerful Republican in Washington, he is in a position to inject it squarely into the national political discourse, where he has argued for years that it belongs.”
Use this resource to get ready for the election
Via press release from the League of Women Voters of Kentucky. Ahead of the general elections, the League of Women Voters of KY (LWVKY) offers the nonpartisan election resource VOTE411.org. This simple, accessible website helps Kentucky voters navigate election information and the voting process. VOTE411 provides personalized candidate information for the elected offices, voter registration details, polling place locations, and other helpful election information for all voters nationwide.
Maybe we should just agree
For the last few months, I have been mulling over a new debate tactic: agreement. Yes, you heard that right. But not just agreeing; agreeing with the far-right and then turning their own conspiracy theory on its head. Let’s take gun violence. The shiny, new MAGA Speaker of the House...
Important Update #1, plus Weekly Newsletter
Good evening! There are a number of important changes and updates coming to Forward Kentucky over the next few weeks. So, rather than try to cram them all into one story, I'm going to do one a week as part of our weekly member newsletter, that goes to all our members. (If you aren't already a member, sign up here.
On the MAGA madness in Congress and the country
Congressman Morgan McGarvey is happy the House of Representatives can finally get back to conducting the people’s business. But in a statement, the Louisville Democrat warned that the new speaker, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, is “a far-right Republican” who reflects the “unpopular and extremist views” of the GOP’s MAGA wing.
New anti-Cameron ad
Defending Bluegrass Value, the PAC supporting Beshear, has released a new anti-Cameron ad featuring comments that are supposedly from various Kentucky voters. Watch below. The editorial board of Forward Kentucky. Articles under this author name have been written, edited, and approved by a number of the contributors on this site, as well as the publisher.
News & Notes for Friday
What candidates in KY 93rd House race say about abortion, teachers, transgender rights. Kyle Whalen, a Republican small business owner, will face Democrat newcomer Adrielle Camuel in the special election to replace Rep. Lamin Swann, who died unexpectedly earlier this year. Whalen ran for the seat and lost to Swann by eight percentage points in 2022. House District 93 includes the south side of Fayette County and is a newly formed House district. It is considered a Democratic strong hold, with President Joe Biden winning the area by about 17 points over former President Donald Trump. Camuel, who is an administrative specialist with Fayette County Public Schools, is a political newcomer but has been involved with the Democratic party for several years. (Herald-Leader)
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