Jefferson County Judge-executive Rebecca Jackson is expected to enter the Republican gubernatorial primary Thursday with Robbie Rudolph, a tire dealer from Murray who has never run for or held office, as her lieutenant governor running mate.

Mrs. Jackson enters a primary field that already includes Rep. Ernie Fletcher of Lexington and Hunter Bates, former campaign and political aide to Sen. Mitch McConnell; state Rep. Steve Nunn and state Rep. Bob Heleringer; former actor Sonny Landham and consultant Roger Thoney of Highland Heights.

Also, Mr. Fletcher has announced that he has raised $509,000 for his campaign. According to a statement from the Fletcher campaign, the money was raised in 27 days from about 950 donors.

"The amount was generated over the course of one month without fund-raisers and during the holiday season, which is typically a time when it's more difficult to raise money," the campaign said in the statement.

Mr. Nunn has reported raising $28,000, which includes $20,000 of his own money.

State Senate candidate Damon Thayer of Scott County has raised nearly $70,000 for his campaign for the General Assembly's newest seat.

Mr. Thayer faces Scott County Democrat Charles Wells in a Jan. 28 special election for the Senate seat in a district that was redrawn after the 2000 U.S. Census came out. The seat covers the southern portion of Kenton County and all of Scott, Grant and Owen counties.

Mr. Thayer, vice president of marketing for the National Thoroughbred Racing Association in Lexington, will hold another campaign fund raiser Saturday night in Northern Kentucky. It will feature an appearance by Sen. Jim Bunning of Southgate.

"We will continue to raise money and work hard on the campaign trail in order to spread my message of conservative leadership for Kentucky's 17th District," Mr. Thayer said.

Mr. Wells, an organized labor leader, will be in Northern Kentucky on Monday. He is scheduled to speak at the Kenton County Democratic Club meeting at 7 p.m. at Walt's Hitching Post, Madison Pike and Kyles Lane in Fort Wright.

For information on the meeting, call Steve Hoffman, 859-292-8883.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ben Chandler, the Kentucky attorney general, and his lieutenant governor running mate, Louisville businessman Charlie Owen, have been endorsed by the 110,000-member Kentucky State AFL-CIO.

"Ben Chandler and Charlie Owenhave demonstrated the kind of courage, integrity and independence that the working men and women of Kentucky need today," union president Bill Londrigan said in a statement.

The Chandler-Owen team also reported raising $268,500 in December. The other Democratic gubernatorial ticket - House Speaker Jody Richards and Louisville Circuit Clerk Tony Miller - reported raising $84,950.

John Lapp, a former campaign and administrative staff member to Rep. Ken Lucas of Boone County, has signed on to the presidential campaign of former House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt of Missouri.

Mr. Lapp, 32, a native of Virginia, chaired Mr. Lucas' first congressional campaign, a 1998 win over Republican Gex Williams. He then went on to work as Mr. Lucas' chief of staff in Washington before working on political campaigns in New York and Iowa.

The Louisville Courier-Journal contributed.

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