By Patrick Crowley
The Cincinnati Enquirer

COVINGTON - Kentucky's gubernatorial race lands in Northern Kentucky today.

Republican Ernie Fletcher, the Lexington Congressman running for governor, has a full day of campaigning and fund-raising planned Kenton, Boone and Grant counties.

Meanwhile, Democrat Charlie Owen, who is running for lieutenant governor on a ticket with gubernatorial candidate Ben Chandler, will visit senior citizen facilities in Campbell and Kenton counties.

Fletcher will begin his day in Grant County at 8 a.m. with a stop at Bruce's Grocery in Mason, a small community in far southern Grant County.

The late Kelly Bruce, who ran the county store for more than 50 years, was a leading Grant County Republican up until his death in 1996.

He will then travel north to Williamstown to talk education at the Northern Kentucky University Grant County Center.

At 11 a.m. Fletcher is scheduled to speak at the Northern Kentucky International Trade Association Annual Meeting at the Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter in Covington.

During an 11:45 a.m. stop at Fassler Florist & Gift Shop in Fort Wright, Fletcher will announce he has been endorsed by the National Federation of Independent Business, a large Washington-based trade and lobbying group for small and independent businesses.

Fletcher will be in southern Kenton County at 4 p.m. for a rally at the Piner General Store, a local gathering spot popular with politicians.

And at 7:30 p.m. he will attend a campaign fund-raiser at the Hilton Cincinnati Airport hotel in Florence.

As part of his "Travels With Charlie" campaign swing through 25 counties, Owen plans to visit the Grand Towers Senior Facility in Newport at 11 a.m. at the Panorama Apartments in Covington at 2 p.m.

"Government is about people, and paid political ads are not the best way to judge a candidate or his policies," Owen said Wednesday.

"That's why we're putting a premium on personal communications whenever possible."

E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com