BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON -- Candidates in a Kenton County statehouse primary aren't dredging up the construction bid scandal involving former Judge-executive Clyde Middleton even though Mr. Middleton's son, John, is in the race.
"It's not an issue with me at all," said Jon Draud of Crestview Hills, who is running against John Middleton and Edgewood Mayor John Link in the 63rd House District Republican primary.
All three candidates appeared Thursday on an InterMedia cable television program.
But while the candidates aren't making the scandal and Clyde Middleton's subsequent resignation an issue, voters have expressed concerns about the situation, both Mr. Draud and Mr. Link said. "I've not made it an issue," Mr. Link said. "I'll only say that in going door-to-door I think it is an issue . . . (and) people do have concerns about it."
The Kenton County Fiscal Court has agreed to pay $850,000 to two developers -- Carroll Properties and Wessels Construction -- who sued the county because of the way bids were handled for a new $35 million county courthouse.
Mr. Middleton resigned in February after admitting he made a mistake in showing the bids submitted by Carroll and Wessels to Corporex Cos., the Covington-based development and construction firm that eventually won the bid.
The county is now trying to recover the $850,000 settlement from Corporex in Kenton Circuit Court.
"It's not an issue with me at all," Mr. Draud said. "Clyde (Middleton) is a friend of mine.
"I do have some concern about the fiscal court paying" the $850,000 settlement, he said. "I don't think the fiscal court should have done that."
John Middleton, an Edgewood attorney, said he has not heard complaints about the issue from either the voters or the other candidates. "In fact, with my dad's over 35 years of service it's been a great plus for me," Mr. Middleton said. "If anything, people are rallying around him.
"I'm going to stand by the Middleton name. He's my hero . . . and I don't think he did anything wrong," John Middleton said of his father.
During the half-hour broadcast the candidates said they agree on several issues: all are anti-abortion; all are opposed to the expansion of casino or other type of legalized gambling; and all said the General Assembly needs to revisit health insurance reform when the legislature convenes in 2000.
The defection of insurance companies that fled the state because of past reforms has driven up the cost of health care and health insurance, Mr. Link said. "Bringing that competition back will . . . bring the cost back down to an affordable level," he said.
And Mr. Draud said too many medical decisions are being made by insurance companies.
The candidates also discussed education and changes made to the Kentucky Education Reform Act, or KERA, and the state testing program during the recently completed Kentucky General Assembly session.
Mr. Draud, who retired last year after nearly 20 years as the superintendent of the Ludlow schools, said he is "obviously . . . the one candidate that has the most expertise in education." "We need more people in the legislature with a background in education," he said.
Mr. Link said he wants to see "more basics, like phonics and the three R's . . . being taught in the classrooms."
And Mr. Middleton said he has been endorsed by a local teachers union.
"Those that are closest to education know that I'm the one that can reform KERA," Mr. Middleton said.
Mr. Draud responded by saying he didn't get that endorsement because he does not support mandatory collective bargaining for teachers and other public employees.
"The teachers will be with me because they know I have the expertise" in education, Mr. Draud said.
The winner of the May 26 Republican primary will win the statehouse seat because no Democrat is running. Incumbent Rep. Dick Murgatroyd, R-Villa Hills, is not seeking re-election because he is running for Kenton County judge-executive in the November general election.
