Thursday, February 04, 1999
Kentucky GOP will celebrate '98 wins
Annual dinner will also look ahead to 2000
BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FORT MITCHELL — To paraphrase a song, Fourth District Republicans won't be partying like it's 1999 Saturday as they gather for their annual political dinner.
Because this won't be the party's year to party.
For the first time since Kentucky's Republican revolution in 1994, the GOP has failed this year to give Democrats a strong challenge to major elected offices in the state.
The Republicans were unable or unwilling to recruit a credible slate to take on Democratic incumbents Gov. Paul Patton and Lt. Gov. Steve Henry this fall. And no GOP candidates stepped up to run for any of the so-called down-ticket offices such as attorney general, auditor and secretary of state.
So during Saturday night's Lincoln/Reagan Day Dinner, GOP leaders and faithful will be looking back to 1998 and forward to 2000.
“The theme of the dinner is Celebrate '98,” said Fourth District GOP Chairman Damon Thayer of Grant County. “We had a great year last year, electing Jim Bunning to the Senate, holding on to five of the state's seats in the U.S. House and holding our own in the statehouse.
“And we're already looking ahead to 2000, when we want to help elect a Republican to the White House, hold on to our seats in Congress, win back the 4th District seat (from Democrat Ken Lucas) and take over the state Senate.”
Mr. Bunning is scheduled to fly in Saturday night from Washington to appear as the guest speaker.
Mr. Thayer admits that some leaders and members of the party are “a little disappointed, a little down” about not fielding a strong candidate to take on the Democrats in Frankfort.
Two little-known politicians are running in the May GOP primary: Peppy Martin, a public relations writer from Hart County, and former Democrat David L. Williams of Columbia.
“But we have a lot to celebrate,” he said. “Jim Bunning's Senate victory was huge for us.”
On the county level, Republicans took over courthouses in Kenton and Boone counties and picked up a few seats, including judge-executive in Campbell County.
Kenton County Republican Party Chairman Greg Shumate, a Villa Hills attorney, said the county GOP will use 1999 to raise money and increase party registrations.
“We obviously don't have any big races to worry about so we can really use some time to raise money,” Mr. Shumate said.
John Middleton, a member of the Kenton County Republican Executive Committee, is heading up an effort to recruit local government elected officials into the party.
“There's at least 50 officials out there and we're going to go after most of them,” Mr. Shumate said.
Mr. Thayer said he will spend 1999 raising money, recruiting candidates and organizing county parties so the GOP is ready for the 2000 elections.
Last year's dinner raised $10,000 for the party, Mr. Thayer said. This year's silent auction features University of Kentucky basketball books, a basketball signed by UK basketball coach Tubby Smith and a signed copy of Mr. Bunning's biography.
Mr. Thayer also wants the party to do a better job articulating the messages and issues of Mr. Reagan, who celebrates his 88th birthday Saturday.
“People tend to associate Ronald Reagan with ending the Cold War, but he was so much more than that,” Mr. Thayer said. “He wanted a less intrusive government, which is what the founding fathers envisioned for the country.
“That's the message we need to get out to the voters, that the Republicans want less government in their lives,” he said.
The 4th District Lincoln/Reagan Day Dinner begins at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Drawbridge Estates in Fort Mitchell. Tickets are $35.
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