CN|2 Politics

James Kay, the Democratic nominee in the 56th House District special election, took to the television airwaves of the 56th District over the weekend with an ad attacking the background of Republican candidate Lyen Crews. Crews has touted his experience as chief financial officer for hospitals on his campaign website and during events with voters by saying the General Assembly needs an accountant. But Kay’s ad seeks to undermine that. Crews most recently served as chief financial officer for... Read more 

Elisabeth Jensen, a Lexington Democrat and education advocate, confirmed to Pure Politics that she will run for Congress next year in Central Kentucky’s 6th District for the chance to challenge freshman Republican Congressman Andy Barr. Jensen said in an interview over the weekend that she will hold her first fundraiser July 8, which will be hosted by horse owners Tracy and Carol Farmer. As for the issues, Jensen said issues such as college affordability, equal pay for women, children issues... Read more 

Republican leaders reaffirmed their support of U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell’s re-election bid on Saturday as state Senate President Robert Stivers directly confronted any potential primary opponent to McConnell. “If you’re thinking about taking him on in a primary, don’t. You can’t win,” Stivers told the state Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner crowd that included businessman Matt Bevin — who has been entertaining overtures by some tea party groups to take on McConnell – and activist David Adams, who has been... Read more 

John-Mark Hack, the former Democrat turned independent, on Thursday urged the GOP nominee in the 56th state House District — Lyen Crews — to call off attacks by Republican groups on the Democratic contender, James Kay. Hack said he offered to both Kay and Crews to run a campaign without negative advertisements and to stick to the issues. While Kay didn’t respond, Hack received a voicemail from Crews, which Hack played for reporters at a press conference at the Woodford... Read more 

Democrats gathered in Louisville Thursday to embrace their party and prepare to battle U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell in the 2014 Senate race, even though they don’t have a challenger yet. All eyes were on Alison Lundergan Grimes at Thursday’s Democratic Wendell Ford dinner in Louisville. The 34-year old Secretary of State has not announced her plans on the Senate race and if she will challenge McConnell. Although, Grimes has received plenty of encouragement to hurry up and make up her... Read more 

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell’s criticism of the Obama administration is put on display in a new online campaign ad that puts the IRS scandal in the spotlight. The online video paints a timeline leading up to the IRS acknowledging that conservative groups had been unfairly targeted by stitching together clips of McConnell voicing concerns about the IRS over the past year. The campaign even seeks to make an example of the lack of accountability of the Obama administration by drawing comparisons between... Read more 

Kentucky Congressman John Yarmuth said Alison Lundergan Grimes must “immediately decide” whether or not she will run for Senate in 2014. In an exclusive interview with WFPL Yarmuth said Grimes risks hurting the Democratic party by prolonging her decision. “I do think that it is important that Alison Grimes immediately decide whether she’s running or not because there are a number of people sitting on the sidelines who would be interested I think in making a race who are waiting to find... Read more 

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is trying to feed a narrative that U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell is obstructionist-in-chief after this week’s back-and-forth on the U.S. Senate floor over judicial nominations. On the Senate floor Wednesday, McConnell criticized Senate Democratic leaders for selectively taking up judicial nominees. He called it a “manufactured crisis” and part of a “culture of intimidation” extending from the White House. For instance, McConnell said, while Democrats moved to confirm a federal judge for the District of Columbia,... Read more 

Kentucky Democrats are doing plenty of thinking and talking and diligence doing, but not a whole lot of running yet when it comes to the 2014 U.S. Senate race against Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell. Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes is still gathering information from national Democrats about how to take on the Senate Republican leader, who will have as much as $25 million in his campaign account. She told reporters Wednesday morning that she was still undecided and... Read more 

Speaking to a familiar crowd at the Woodford County Farm Bureau on Tuesday night, independent candidate in the 56th House race John Mark Hack showed off his agriculture policy experience but also his opposition to a key initiative for many horse owners in that district. The forum was the first time Hack, Democratic nominee James Kay and Republican nominee Lyen Crews met to face voters in the special election race to represent voters from Woodford County, western Lexington, and eastern... Read more