Thursday, September 30, 1999
Martin asks N.Ky. to spread word
Republican short on cash, publicity
BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FLORENCE — Trying to pump life into a lackluster gubernatorial campaign, about 50 Boone County Republicans turned out Wednesday night for a meeting with GOP candidate Peppy Martin.
As they ate at the Garten Haus German restaurant in Florence, the group of mostly party activists and officials heard a plea from Ms. Martin to get out the word about her campaign.
“We're running a good grass-roots campaign, taking our message to the voters any way we can,” said Ms. Martin, a Hart County publicist.
“Please, get out and tell your neighbors and your friends and anybody who will listen to make sure they vote on Election Day. If we just get the Republicans out, we can win this thing.”
Ms. Martin is considered a long-shot by many of the leaders in her own party to beat Democratic Gov. Paul Patton. She said she and running mate Wanda Cornelius have raised only about $50,000.
Mr. Patton and Lt. Gov. Steve Henry have reported raising more than $400,000.
Also in the race is Reform Party candidate Gatewood Galbraith, a Lexington attorney who has raised about $30,000.
Ms. Martin said she will begin running 15-second commercials this weekend in Louisville, Lexington, Hazard, Paducah, Bowling Green and possibly Evansville, Ind., to reach Kentucky voters in Owensboro and Henderson.
She won't, however, be running commercials in Northern Kentucky because the Cincinnati television stations “are just too darn expensive.”
Ms. Martin's campaign has received a recent boost from endorsements by U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning, 4th District GOP Chairman Jay Hall of Florence and Boone County Republican Party Chairman Ed Moore.
Mr. Hall and Mr. Moore, along with Boone County Commissioner Cathy Flaig and Boone County commonwealth attorney candidate Howe Baker, attended Wednesday's dinner.
“I think she can do very well up here in Northern Kentucky,” said Joe Conrad, 69, of Hebron, a Boone County GOP activist who is assisting Ms. Martin's campaign.
“Look, she stood up and ran when nobody else would. Now she's our candidate, and we need to get behind her to win,” Mr. Conrad said.
Ms. Martin was fuming over comments Mr. Patton has made on the campaign trail. The governor has said he is the only qualified candidate in the race.
“That shows the arrogance of Paul Patton,” she said. “He is so chauvinistic that he thinks a woman can't succeed him as governor.”
Major planks of her platform include reworking legislation passed during Mr. Patton's term that changed workers' compensation and health insurance laws.
Under the changes, workers are having a harder time collecting benefits for job-related injuries, she said, particularly coal miners from Mr. Patton's native eastern Kentucky.
“I don't care how I get votes, but a lot of the votes I'll get are anti-Patton votes in eastern Kentucky,” said Ms. Martin.
She predicted she'll carry a number of Democratic counties in the mountains, including Elliott, Floyd, Pike and Knott.
She also said health insurance companies unhappy with laws passed by Democrats in Frankfort “have driven competition out and premiums up.”
Ms. Martin proposed using proceeds from the state lottery to subsidize a high-risk pool for people unable to purchase insurance because of health or financial reasons.
Mr. Patton also squandered a $350 million budget surplus last year “by building pork projects so he could get himself re-elected,” Ms. Martin said.
If she is elected, Ms. Martin said, every taxpayer would receive a $200 state rebate.
“Surplus money should go back to the people who sent it to Frankfort in the first place,” she said.
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