Judgeship is 'a professional opportunity I've looked at for a long time,' Williams says

DANVILLE — David Williams, who has served as Senate president since 2000, said while he hasn’t made up his mind whether he would accept a nomination to an open circuit judgeship should it be offered to him, several key factors are pulling him in that direction.

“I have a lot of people in my home town that want me to come home and be a circuit judge. I have an 87-year-old mother that’s nearly blind, who wants me to come home. It’s a professional opportunity I’ve looked at for a long time,” Williams said.

He said his late father, Lewis, a former Cumberland County clerk, wanted him to be judge.

Last month, Circuit Judge Eddie Lovelace died, opening up the judgeship that covers Cumberland, Clinton and Monroe counties. A judicial nominating committee must forward three names to Gov. Steve Beshear, who has said he would consider Williams — his rival in the 2011 governor’s race — if Williams’ name is on that list.

Williams spoke with Pure Politics about his future while attending the vice presidential debate on Thursday in Danville.

Williams said Kentucky Democrats wouldn’t get much campaign fodder from the debate — even from some of Vice President Joe Biden’s best lines because he said Democrats shouldn’t want to nationalize the race. Republicans would win that battle every time, he said.