By Patrick Crowley
The Cincinnati Enquirer

FORT MITCHELL - With the 2003 statewide elections over, a Kenton County Democrat has launched a state senate campaign.

Fort Mitchell council member Kathy Groob, a vice president and developer with Paul Hemmer Companies, has filed to run against two-term Republican incumbent Sen. Jack Westwood in next year's statehouse race.

Groob had no comment Thursday, saying she will make a formal announcement Nov. 14. Kentucky House Speaker Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green, is to speak at Groob's announcement, scheduled for noon at the Fort Mitchell Holiday Inn.

Westwood said he has heard rumblings about Groob's candidacy for weeks.

"It wasn't unexpected," he said. "I'm not going to take anything for granted and I take her campaign very seriously. But we also intend to run a very strong race."

A former Republican who only recently switched to the Democrats, Groob faces an uphill fight.

Westwood is a retired schoolteacher from Crescent Springs. His 23rd Senate district stretches from Covington to Independence and includes many of the county's GOP-dominated suburbs. Like the rest of Kenton County, the district voted heavily Republican in Tuesday's statewide election, in which Republican Ernie Fletcher was elected governor.

Kenton County posted the largest margin of victory for Fletcher - more than 10,000 votes - of any county in Kentucky.

Republicans say they will work hard to keep Westwood in office.

"Kathy Groob can't decide what party she wants to be in," said Kenton County GOP Chairman Greg Shumate. "Just a few months ago she wanted a seat on our (Republican) executive committee, and she once showed up at a Fletcher fund-raising meeting. We'd welcome her back with open arms, but she is going to have a hard time raising money and beating Jack Westwood."

Kenton County Democratic Party Chairman Nathan Smith said Westwood has been ineffective during his years in Frankfort.

"Kathy Groob will help clean up the mess in Frankfort," Smith said, borrowing the mantra Fletcher used in his campaign. "It's time for Northern Kentucky to get its fair share, and Jack Westwood has never produced for Northern Kentucky. As Greg Shumate has said, we send (tax) dollars, dollars and dollars to Frankfort and get back cents, cents and cents. Well, Jack Westwood is part of that problem."

Groob has an extensive resume of business and community involvement with organizations that include the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Beechwood Schools, the Fine Arts Fund Northern Kentucky Committee and Making Strides for Breast Cancer. She and her husband, Jeff, have three children.

E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com