Soon to be the lone Democrat in Ky.'s delegation, Yarmuth to meet at White House to discuss appointments

U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth of Louisville told Pure Politics he is meeting this week with White House officials to go over potential federal appointments in preparation for being the lone Democrat in Kentucky’s congressional delegation.

The election loss of U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler of Versailles leaves Yarmuth as Kentucky’s only member of Congress in President Barack Obama’s party. That will mean he will take on more responsibility in facilitating judicial and U.S. Attorney appointments, as the Courier-Journal first reported.

Yarmuth told Pure Politics on Tuesday that he would be meeting with the White House this week to decide how to handle federal appointments without a Democratic Senator and no other Democratic congressman.

This is the second time in Kentucky’s history that only one Democrat has served in the federal delegation — Chandler in 2005.

“I guess I have to speak up a little louder for the things that Democrats believe in, but just in terms of day-to-day activities I guess I’ll be more involved in federal appointments than I otherwise would have been,” Yarmuth said.

On the political front, Yarmuth said he stands by his assertion that actress Ashley Judd could be a top Democratic contender to challenge on U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell in 2014.

Judd’s grandmother Polly Judd praised McConnell for his work in Kentucky, and House Speaker Greg Stumbo told WFPL Judd’s position on mountaintop removal coal mining would make her a difficult candidate for Kentuckians to support. Pure Politics also offered an analysis on the potential challengers to McConnell in early November

Yarmuth said he feels Judd would be “very strong opponent for Senator McConnell and would have a chance to beat him.” But Yarmuth went on to say that Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes would also be a strong candidate to run against McConnell in 2014.

“I don’t necessarily have a preference as to who it is I just want us to have a very strong candidate,” Yarmuth said after a public event on Tuesday.