Julian Carroll says feud with Hubbard is history; foresees a return to the past in Frankfort

Julian Carroll, the former governor and speaker of the House from the 1970s, might not be the only throw-back serving in the state legislature next year. Carroll, who is running for his third term in the state Senate, said he expects to be joined by former Democratic Congressman Carroll Hubbard, who famously clashed with Carroll.

Hubbard is running for state Senate in the 1st District — an open seat vacated by Republican Sen. Ken Winters, who defeated Hubbard in 2008. Hubbard faces Stan Humphries, the Republican Trigg County judge-executive.

Carroll said he and Hubbard first got crossways in 1967 when Carroll sided with incumbent Sen. George Brand of Mayfield, whom Hubbard unseated in that year’s Democratic primary. The feud only intensified when Hubbard ran for governor in the 1979 Democratic primary against Carroll’s preferred candidate, Terry McBrayer. Both lost to businessman John Y. Brown Jr.

But Carroll says the two have put all that history behind them. Here’s what he said in an interview with Pure Politics on Wednesday:

Hubbard isn’t the only blast from the past on Kentuckians’ ballots this year. Republican House candidate Kenny Imes of Murray served with Carroll in the House when he was first elected in 1971 as a Democrat. Imes served through 1979 and is running to return this year.

Here’s what Carroll said about Frankfort potentially going back to the past:

One other former lawmaker who is hoping to be back in the Capitol is former Sen. Albert Robinson, a Republican from London.

Carroll said Robinson is a friend of his. But he said Democrats could beat him even in that heavily Republican 21st state Senate District because of Robinson’s reputation for slipping in a pension increase for lawmakers in 2000 — a move that later was overturned in the courts.

Carroll said even if Robinson wins, he will likely be an ineffective senator because of that.

“Albert’s going to have a tough time with his own caucus,” Carroll said.