Kentucky: Governor Likely to Lose Election

If polls have any credibility, current Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher will not survive today’s election. Local reports indicated that his opponent, Democrat Steve Beshear, has gained additional support in recent weeks and leads Fletcher by more than 20 points in the polls.

Former Congressman Fletcher was the first Republican governor in more than 30 years when he won the seat in 2003. His first term, however, has been plagued by scandal. Fletcher was accused of making merit-job decisions based on political cronyism. In the end, Fletcher pardoned his 14 indicted staffers and reached an agreement with the state’s attorney general to have the indictments against him dropped. The political predictions are that those pardons will cause Fletcher’s defeat in the general election even though he survived a tough primary.

The expansion of gambling in Kentucky is also a major issue in today’s election. Fletcher opposes casinos, whereas Beshear believes casinos at the state's racetracks and at two to four other locations near state lines could produce $500 million a year in tax revenue.

Beshear, a lawyer, is a former member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, a former attorney general of Kentucky, and a former lieutenant governor of Kentucky. In 1987, he unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for governor of Kentucky. He was also the Democratic nominee for the United States Senate in 1996, but lost to incumbent Mitch McConnell.

Direct questions to NAMIC State Affairs Manager Tami Stanton.

Posted: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 12:00:00 AM. Modified: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 1:39:12 PM.

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