Tuesday, February 16, 1999
GOP up-and-comer to get 4th District post
BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FLORENCE — Boone County Republican Party Chairman Jay Hall, who helped bring the county party to near parity with the Democrats, is set to lead the 4th Congressional District GOP.
Mr. Hall, 27, a paralegal from Florence and a 1989 graduate of Walton Verona High School, said Monday he has the votes from the district's executive committee to succeed Damon Thayer as 4th District chairman.
Mr. Thayer, who supports Mr. Hall, is expected to be elected Saturday as vice chair man of the Kentucky Republican Party.
Mr. Hall is also backed by U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning, the Southgate Republican who for 12 years represented the 4th District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“There's no set date yet as to when I'll become chairman because we're waiting for Damon to be elected vice chairman of the state party,” Mr. Hall said.
“But I'm confident I have the votes. I've been making
calls to all the (county) chairmen and co-chairmen throughout the district and I've received the support of everyone I've talked to.”
Mr. Hall took over the Boone County GOP three years ago. Though he does not claim credit for the party's rise, registrations have increased during his tenure and party leaders have been happy with his performance.
For the first time ever, Republicans took control of the county fiscal court and won most of the courthouse offices in the November election.
“I hope to take what I learned and did in Boone County and spread it across the 4th District,” Mr. Hall said.
The 4th District covers 22 counties, including all of Northern Kentucky, and stretches from the West Virginia border at Ashland in the east to Oldham County near Louisville in the west.
“Jay is young and energetic and that is exactly what this position needs,” said Fort Mitchell attorney Rick Robinson, a former district GOP chairman.
“He's already talked to me about taking a road trip and meeting a lot of the people he doesn't know on the far east and west ends of the district ... and he's very interested in working on party building and helping elect Republicans in all 22 counties,'' Mr. Robinson said Monday.
Mr. Hall will serve as chairman only until next year, when the current term expires. The term was actually started by Mr. Robinson, who stepped down in 1996 to run for Congress. He was replaced by Mr. Thayer.
Mr. Hall said one of his priorities will be recruiting a candidate to run next year against U.S. Rep. Ken Lucas of Boone County, the first Democrat to win the 4th District Congressional seat in more than 30 years.
Mr. Hall said he also plans to:
• Raise money for the 4th District party as well as county Republican parties throughout the district.
• Help the county parties get better organized and recruit candidates for county and statehouse offices.
• Register more Republicans to vote.
• Take what he learned about party building and grass-roots GOP politics into counties like Gallatin and Elliott, where Republicans are still far outnumbered by Democrats.
Mr. Hall was raised outside Walton in Boone County. He and his wife, Diana, have an 11-month-old daughter, Julia.
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