Stanford — STANFORD — Ben Chandler, the Sixth District Democratic Congressman, walks into the senior citizens center here to smiles, embraces and expressions of gratitude for securing funding help for the center.

“He’s not just our congressman — he’s our friend,” says Linda Grigson, the center director. Chandler then addresses the group of about 20 seniors, never mentioning his party affiliation or that he’s running for re-election.

But he’s a Democrat running in what looks like a Republican year — and Chandler is in a race to retain his seat representing the central Kentucky district. His Republican opponent, Lexington attorney Andy Barr, a former member of the gubernatorial administration of Republican Ernie Fletcher, is feeling confident.

“I feel good. I really do,” Barr tells a volunteer in the Lexington Republican headquarters a few days after Chandler’s visit to the Lincoln County senior citizens’ center. “The people of central Kentucky are saying Washington is broken, the process is broken,” Barr said. “They’re tired of people in Washington not listening.”

Like many Republican challengers, Barr attempts to link Chandler with President Barack Obama — Chandler endorsed Obama early in the 2008 Democratic primary — and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He says Chandler votes with Pelosi 94 percent of the time; Chandler points out most Republicans also vote in the majority — “Most votes in the House are like 450 to nine or something” — because most votes are non-controversial or procedural.

Barr responds that even though Chandler voted against the health care reform, he cast procedural votes to keep the legislation moving through the House.

Chandler said the health care vote “demonstrates I do not necessarily hew the party line.” He said he voted against health care because of concerns about the impact of the bill on rural hospitals, its lack of cost controls and “because I didn’t think it was in the interest of the people of my district.”

Chandler also voted against the Troubled Assets Relief Program — the “bailout” bill. But he voted for energy and climate control legislation popularly called cap and trade, an unpopular vote in coal-dependent Kentucky. That, Barr said, shows Chandler isn’t in touch with his district.

“The role of a representative is to represent the interests of that congressman’s district,” Barr said. “By voting for cap and trade, my opponent failed that test.” Chandler said coal can co-exist with renewable energy sources and the “green jobs and economy of the future.” But Kentucky needs to be part of that future economy, he said. Kentuckians “want clean air and they want clean water and they also want the opportunity for good jobs in the future.”

Both agree the economy is the central issue. Barr blames the bad economy and high unemployment on the national debt and the “breathtaking failure” of the stimulus, which Chandler supported. Chandler points to the analysis by the bi-partisan Congressional Budget Office which indicates the stimulus bill created or saved more than 3.3 million jobs.

Barr wants to scale back federal spending to pre-stimulus, pre-2008 levels. But he concedes that isn’t enough to solve the deficit problem and that Republicans failed the spending test when they controlled Congress and the White House.

“Republicans were fired in 2006 and 2008 in part because Republicans moved away from principles of fiscal responsibility,” Barr said. But “going forward, we have to get our fiscal house in order.” He wants to repeal the health care reform and pass a balanced budget amendment. Chandler accuses Barr of wanting to undermine Social Security, saying he “bought into” a plan by Republican House members and candidates to cut back federal spending that includes cuts in Social Security and Medicare. He says full employment “will help us balance the budget more than any one factor.”

The campaign has been marked by negative advertising. Barr has accused Chandler of siding with Obama and Pelosi while Chandler’s ads have reminded voters of Barr’s involvement with Fletcher’s merit system problems. Barr was general counsel for LINK — Local Initiatives For A New Kentucky — that was shut down after allegations it was used to reward Fletcher’s political supporters with state jobs.

In addition to the ads bought by Barr’s campaign, two outside groups — Americans for Tax Reform and the National Republican Committee — have bought ads against Chandler. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee recently began running ads critical of Barr. Chandler’s seat was once thought sufficiently safe that Barr wasn’t given much of a chance. That’s changed. Barr claims his polling shows him edging ahead and the Washington based Cook Political Report last week moved the race into the “toss-up” category. Chandler said his polling continues to show him ahead. But some see the entry of the DCCC as evidence of growing concern about a Republican trend nationwide which might affect Chandler.

Chandler, who lost to Fletcher in the 2003 governor’s after two terms each as state Auditor and Attorney General and then won Fletcher’s vacated seat in a special election, chafes at attempts by Barr to paint him as a lockstep Democratic vote. His ads don’t mention he’s a Democrat — he says he never mentioned it when running for auditor, attorney general or governor and he went after Democratic officials in both his previous state jobs. He points to his ranking by the National Journal as a “centrist” as well.

“The record is pretty clear that I wear no man’s collar and I wear no party’s collar,” Chandler said.

Ronnie Ellis writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com. Follow CNHI News Service stories on Twitter at www.twitter.com/

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