Senate race very different from primary campaigns

State News

June 24, 2010

By Ronnie Ellis CNHI News Service The Richmond Register Thu Jun 24, 2010, 11:00 AM EDT

FRANKFORT — The U.S. Senate race between Republican Dr. Rand Paul and Democrat Jack Conway is an entirely new ballgame than the primary campaigns each waged against their main challengers.

During the primary, Paul was provocative and accessible, often answering the last question of reporters or supporters. He showed up on national cable programs and he had an opinion on nearly every conceivable issue. Conway used an enormous fundraising advantage to pummel his opponent with television ads and built his winning margin in the primary largely in Jefferson County where he lives.

Now Paul seems to avoid reporters and he’s been much less visible on the air waves after a post-primary controversy over comments about the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Gulf oil disaster, and questions about an alternative certification body he established for ophthalmologists. Conway acknowledges he needs to do better in rural parts of the state, especially in western Kentucky’s First and Second Congressional Districts.

“I’m going to be spending a lot of time there,” Conway said shortly after the primary. His spokeswoman, Allison Haley said Conway has been in western Kentucky, meeting with local officials, touring courthouses and “just doing retail politics.

“The entire state is important,” Haley said. “However, we certainly realize western Kentucky was not our strongest area during the primary.”

Political consultant Danny Briscoe, a former Kentucky Democratic Party chairman, supports Conway but says he needs to get his primary opponent, Daniel Mongiardo solidly in his camp to win. Mongiardo has not yet endorsed Conway.

“He can’t beat Rand Paul without a united party,” Briscoe said. “Conway needs to get Mongiardo on board and to endorse him and make some appearances for him.”

Mongiardo is on vacation and couldn’t be reached for comment, but his spokeswoman Valeria Cummings said, “There’s nothing happening on that.”

“We certainly will be a united Democratic Party and you’ll see a united party in November,” Haley said. She said Mongiardo has been “very gracious and they’ve discussed party unity and moving forward.”

There are signs some Republicans still aren’t entirely on board with Paul, too. Todd Inman, vice chair of the Daviess County Republican Party, supported Trey Grayson in the Republican primary.

“This year’s election is more about policy and positions than it is about party, and you see that on both sides,” said Inman. He said he “plans on working for a lot of Republicans this fall,” when asked if he would support Paul. He said western Kentucky is a likely battleground — and Paul may have damaged his standing with the large farm community there when he said he opposes government subsidies for business — including farming subsidies.

Paul’s campaign manager Jesse Benton sidestepped questions about Paul’s statement on farm subsidies, saying Paul opposes estate taxes and “an out-of-control EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). Rand Paul stands firmly in the corner of western Kentucky farmers.”

Inman said Paul will have to reach beyond his primary supporters to win in the fall. “Rand Paul has to have his people, Grayson’s people and some of Mongiardo’s to win,” Inman said. Grayson endorsed Paul after the primary.

Benton said Grayson “has been very classy and the people backing him have been very classy. We’re making every effort and there’s a lot of effort from the other side, too.”

Meanwhile, the Conway campaign is trying to create doubt among some of Paul’s staunchest supporters, calling his earlier pledge not to take money from Republican senators who voted for the bank bailouts “hypocrisy.” Paul was scheduled to attend a Washington, D.C. fundraiser Thursday night sponsored by several Republican senators — including Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell — who voted for the bailouts in October 2008.

Benton said the pledge was during a primary “contest about the principles of the party. Rand Paul won that contest. He has a long record of very consistent principles. People know they can trust Rand Paul.”

Briscoe says Conway has his work cut out for him outside of his home area of Jefferson County. He notes the conservative trend in the First and Second Districts which means he starts out behind Paul in those areas. And many Kentucky voters — Republican and Democratic — aren’t happy with President Barack Obama, Briscoe said.

“The Democrats have to overcome that to win,” Briscoe said. “The problem isn’t only in western Kentucky. Obama isn’t popular in this state.”

Right on cue, Benton said voters will associate Conway with health care reform, climate control legislation, and deficit spending. Haley disputed the characterization, saying Conway would offer legislation to amend the health care bill and opposes legislation which will endanger Kentucky coal production.

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/cnhifrankfort. The Richmond Register is a CNHI

newspaper.

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