CRESTVIEW HILLS — The Democrat taking on the formidable Mitch McConnell in next year's U.S. Senate race makes her first official campaign visit to Northern Kentucky next month.

        Lois Combs Weinberg will be the guest at a May 15 reception being hosted by two Northern Kentucky political activists, Alice Sparks of Crescent Springs and Elissa Plattner of Camp Springs, in Campbell County.

Weinberg

        Mrs. Sparks described the low-key affair as a chance for local Democrats to meet the candidate.
       

Governor's daughter
        Mrs. Weinberg is from Hindman in Eastern Kentucky. She is the daughter of former Gov. Bert T. Combs. She has never held office but has been active in politics and education.

        She is married to Bill Weinberg, former state representative and commonwealth attorney in Knott County. She has served on the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence and on the University of Kentucky board of trustees.

        She now serves on the Council on Postsecondary Education. Bill Weinberg serves on the state Board of Education.

        Invitations to the Northern Kentucky event, planned for the Four Seasons Country Club in Crestview Hills, will be mailed shortly, Mrs. Sparks said.

        Kentucky House Majority Caucus Chairman, Rep. Jim Callahan, D-Wilder, is scheduled to introduce Mrs. Weinberg at the event.

        “This is not a fund-raiser,” Mrs. Sparks said. “This is a chance for our friends up here to meet and get acquainted with Lois Combs Weinberg.”

        Mrs. Sparks and Mrs. Plattner are UK trustees. Mrs. Sparks also served on the Prichard Committee with Mrs. Weinberg.

        “Lois has long been committed to education in Kentucky, and that is going to be one of her main priorities in her campaign,” Mrs. Sparks said.

        But even Mrs. Sparks admits that running against Mr. McConnell “will be an uphill battle.”

A formidable opponent

        A three-term Republican senator from Louisville, Mr. McConnell is considered the titular head of the Kentucky GOP and is one of the leading Republican Party strategists in the nation.

        Prior to announcing his own reelection campaign in January, Mr. McConnell spent four years as head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, where he guided the party's political strategy in Senate races nationwide and raised nearly $100 million.

        Mr. McConnell already has more than $1 million for his own reelection campaign. And his profile was raised when President Bush tapped Mr. McConnell's wife, Elaine Chao, to be secretary of Labor.

        “He's the godfather of the GOP ... who does a tremendous job representing Kentucky,” said Jay Hall of Florence, a Boone County Republican Party activist planning to run for county clerk.

        Mrs. Weinberg is coming into one of Mr. McConnell's strongest bases of support.

        In the 1996 election, Mr. McConnell, who defeated Democrat Steve Beshear by 13 points statewide, put up huge numbers in Northern Kentucky.

        He carried Boone County with 70 percent of the vote; Campbell County with 66 percent, and Kenton County with 68 percent.

        “This is McConnell territory,” Mr. Hall said. “I couldn't see the most seasoned, popular Democratic candidate beating Mitch McConnell, much less an unknown candidate with, the way I understand, no real ties to Northern Kentucky.”

        So far no other Democrat has stepped forward to challenge Mrs. Weinberg in the party's May 2002 Democratic primary.

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