2007 Governor's Race Update

As the Herald-Leader's Ryan Alessi reports, a lot of folks aren't out of this race just yet. That's why I chose not to run with an official endorsement two blog postings ago with regards to former Lt. Governor Steve Beshear. As a matter of fact, ResCare CEO Ron Geary is looking at a potential run for Governor. I believe John Y. Brown,III, works with him right now. If Geary does run, I do not expect to see Bruce Lunsford file as a candidate seeing as how both of them worked in Governor John Y. Brown, Jr.'s administration. Anyway, here's an excerpt from the article:

Sen. David Boswell of Owensboro is considering running for governor himself and said yesterday he's been talking with at least three others about being a running mate.

Sen. Ed Worley, the Democrats' floor leader from Richmond, said he's still in "serious discussions" with Louisville businessman Bruce Lunsford as well as others to be a lieutenant governor candidate.

In addition, Sens. Jerry Rhoads of Madisonville, Joey Pendleton of Hopkinsville and Dorsey Ridley of Henderson all have been discussed as potential No. 2s on several tickets.

"It appears that a good number of the candidates believe that a viable lieutenant governor candidate would come out of the Senate caucus," Worley said yesterday. "I think it speaks highly of each and every one of them."

Worley said he continues to talk with Lunsford, who spent $8 million of his own money in the 2003 Democratic primary only to drop out of the race days before the election.

"I have not committed to him, nor has the offer formally been extended," said Worley, who won a third term in the Senate this fall.

Boswell, who served as a state representative for Owensboro and state agriculture commissioner before coming to the Senate in 1991, said he talked with Mongiardo about teaming up before talks between Mongiardo and Beshear heated up this week.

Boswell said that, aside from running at the top of a ticket himself, he has had serious discussions with state treasurer Jonathan Miller as well as with Ron Geary, a former revenue cabinet secretary who made millions as the head of nursing home company ResCare.

"He's told me he's going to do a poll and considering filing his letter of intent. I'm definitely interested," Boswell said of Geary. "And he said he's sold $5 million in stock in anticipation of running for governor."

I thought I would also note the following part of the article.

Boswell has been an outspoken advocate for allowing Kentuckians to vote on a constitutional amendment to allow casino gaming. And even though Geary owns Ellis Park Racetrack in Henderson, Boswell said he'd let Geary explain his own stance on expanded gambling. Geary hasn't returned calls from the Herald-Leader.

Miller said yesterday he's still talking with possible running mates but wouldn't name any candidates.

The way that that last paragraph that I excerpted reads, it looks as if State Treasurer Jonathan Miller is not out of this race yet so if it was anyone's initial guess that Beshear-Mongiardo would be the consensus ticket, they were wrong. That said, I hope that we know something in the next week.

I agree with Sen. David Boswell with regards to a public referendum for casino gambling on the commonwealth of Kentucky. I, too, am an advocated for expanded gaming. It would keep the money in the commonwealth rather than let it go across the river to Indiana.

It should be noted that former Lt. Governor Steve Henry is having quite a hard time in trying to find a Lt. Governor candidate that is willing to run with him for a gubernatorial run--unless the Henry/Stumbo rumor is indeed true and that's why Stumbo needs the opinion reversed.

As a side note, I heard that former Governor Brereton Jones would not be a candidate as early as Tuesday. Out of respect for my source, I did not blog it until it was in the news.