By Patrick Crowley
The Cincinnati Enquirer

FORT THOMAS - As he stood before more than 300 supporters Thursday and announced his intentions to run for Congress, Steve Pendery invoked what the GOP often refers to as "Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment":

"Never speak ill of a fellow Republican."

Pendery, the judge-executive of Campbell County, was pleading for civility in what is expected to be a contentious primary that includes two other Republicans: Boone County businessman Geoff Davis, the party's 2002 nominee in the 4th District; and Erlanger lawyer Kevin Murphy.But even as Pendery called for dÈtente, he also senses the political realities of what he and the voters can expect in the May 2004 GOP primary.

"Most people say it will be a bruising primary," Pendery said during a speech at the Fort Thomas Mess Hall, a historic remnant from when Tower Park served as a military installation. "I've heard it likened to a celebrity death match. I hope that's not the case.

"I for one plan to elevate the discussion to one about issues and taking care of the needs of the 4th District," he said. "Because politics must ultimately be about providing access for everyone to the American dream."

Pendery is already being accused of taking personal shots at Davis.

Pendery, 48, a Fort Thomas native who served as mayor and councilman and who operates a family-run insurance business in the city, made several comments Thursday about how he grew up in the 4th District.

"It's the only place I've ever lived," he said. "This has always been my home."

Pendery also played heavily on his 20 years holding elective office and how he has never lost a political campaign in seven tries, though with the exception of his 1998 win over incumbent Democrat Ken Paul in the Campbell County judge-executive race, few of his past races were heavily contested.

"I'm the only candidate in the race who has won an election ... and held office," he said.

And he chided Davis for losing last year's congressional race to three-term U.S. Rep. Ken Lucas, a Boone County Democrat seeking re-election next year.

"Much has been said about how the 4th District is the only (Congressional) District in the state of Kentucky that is not represented by a Republican," Pendery said. "This is the case because we treat the seat as a birthright ... because the (voter registration) numbers say so, the pundits say so.

"And every time the votes are counted we throw up our hands in disgust and we wonder," he said. "Two years later we make the same mistakes all over again. And I say that it is time that we stop doing the same things."

Davis, 43, a business consultant specializing in manufacturing efficiencies, is a native of Pittsburgh who has lived in Northern Kentucky for 13 years and never held office. His first race was his loss is last year's race to Lucas.

Until this year, Murphy's first and only campaign was a losing effort in the 1993 Kenton County Attorney's race.

Davis spokesman Justin Brasell described Pendery's comments about Davis' background and his failure to win last year as "personal attacks."

"Mr. Pendery's attacks would be better launched against the incumbent Democrat, instead of Geoff Davis," Brasell said Thursday. "Isn't that our goal after all - to elect a Republican who can get results for the district? The fact that Mr. Pendery ... feel(s) the need to launch shameful personal attacks clearly shows that Geoff Davis is the frontrunner in this race and that our opponents have no message and nothing of their own to offer voters."

Pendery, Brasell claimed, is lagging far behind Davis when it comes to organizing a campaign in the 24 counties of the 4th District, an area of that snakes along the Ohio River from West Virginia in the east to near Louisville in the west and includes all of Northern Kentucky.

Davis has basically been campaigning since the Nov. 7 election speech he launched his 2002 campaign. "Geoff Davis put together an extensive grassroots organization and a devastating ground game that nearly defeated an incumbent in an off-year election despite being heavily outspent," Brasell said. "That district-wide grassroots organization that is already in place will be a difficult obstacle for our opponents to overcome."

Kenton County Attorney Garry Edmondson, a Fort Wright Republican supporting Pendery, admits Davis has a head start. "The fact that Geoff Davis has been out there running, building his name recognition is going to make it more difficult for Steve," said Edmondson, who attended Pendery's announcement.

"But Steve has been around a long time" he said. "He knows a lot of people, he knows the process, he's a fine person, he'll be a fine candidate and I think he'll come out on top."

E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com.