Spotlight: After more than 400,000 miles, western Ky. lawmaker says its time for new blood

Since 1993, Rep. Fred Nesler has been making one of the longest drives in the General Assembly to Frankfort as the odometer on his Ford can attest.

Nesler, a realtor and a Democrat from Mayfield, is retiring at the end of the year. He said he preferred to play a supporting role in passing legislation. The most high-profile legislation he sponsored in recent years was a 2002 bill allowing firefighters to have collective bargaining powers.

Nesler isn’t picking sides in the Democratic primary between Mayfield Mayor Arthur Byrn and Hickory pharmacist Kelly Whitaker. Two Republicans also will battle for the GOP nomination for the 2nd District on May 22: Patrick Fisher and Richard Heath.

This is the seventh report in the series Pure Politics is airing with each of the 12 lawmakers who are retiring at the end of 2012. (That doesn’t count Rep. Alecia Webb-Edgington who is not seeking re-election to the House because she is running for Congress).