By Ronnie Ellis
CNHI News Service
FRANKFORT —
Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo who narrowly lost the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate to Attorney General Jack Conway Wednesday announced his support for Conway in the general election against Republican Rand Paul, a Bowling Green eye doctor.
The endorsement — contained in a statement announcing Mongiardo will not attend the Fancy Farm picnic this weekend — comes more than two months after Conway’s primary win and follows previous statements by Mongiardo indicating he might not endorse Conway. Mongiardo contends Conway’s staff promised to help him raise money to retire his campaign debt of about $80,000 but hadn’t done so. His statement Wednesday did not mention the fundraising question.
“Some have speculated whether or not I would support our party’s United States Senate nominee Jack Conway,” Mongiardo said in the statement. “While I am an independent Kentucky Democrat who, like many Kentuckians don’t always agree with the policies advocated by the politicians in Washington, I strongly believe in our party’s core Democratic principles.”
“I will always be a champion for the working poor and middle class families who are being hammered by this economy and the unemployed who are desperately searching for a job that pays a living wage,” Mongiardo continued. “It is on their behalf and on behalf of all hard working Kentuckians that today, I am announcing my support for Democratic candidates on the ticket this fall — from our U.S. Senate nominee Jack Conway down to ballot candidates across the commonwealth.”
Conway issued his own statement, saying he is “honored to receive Lieutenant Governor Daniel Mongiardo’s support. Daniel is a leader who has always had the courage to stand up for his convictions” and for hard-working Kentucky families. Conway said he looks forward to working with Mongiardo in the coming months.
Louisville political consultant and former Democratic Party Chairman Danny Briscoe said the endorsement comes “about six weeks too late to have any measurable effect.”
Briscoe, who supports Conway but isn’t involved professionally in the Senate race, said an early endorsement after the primary might have helped unify the party and soothe disappointed Mongiardo supporters. He said the controversy over the disputed over to help Mongiardo retire his debt was “poorly handled” by the Conway campaign.
Conway has said he didn’t promise Mongiardo help with the debt but that his campaign staff may have discussed it. Mark Riddle, Conway’s political consultant, met with Mongiardo’s campaign manager Kim Geveden right after the May 18 election. Mongiardo has said Riddle told Geveden Conway would help.
When CNHI News asked Riddle if he’d promised Geveden the Conway campaign would assist Mongiardo in retiring the debt, Riddle would only say, “Jack’s said enough on that.”
Conway’s spokeswoman Allison Haley said Wednesday the Kentucky Democratic Party announced a couple of weeks ago it will help retire the debt so the Conway campaign isn’t involved in the effort in any direct way.
Ronnie Ellis writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort, Ky. He may be contacted by e-mail at rellis@cnhi.com.
