Republicans nominate Ditty for special senate election

Democrats to nominate their candidate Tuesday

RONNIE ELLIS

FRANKFORT — Greenup County dermatologist Jack Ditty is the Republican nominee in an Aug. 25 special election to fill the 18th District state Senate seat vacated by Charlie Borders who resigned to accept a position on the Public Service Commission.

Ditty, 60, was chosen unanimously at a meeting of Republican county executive committees Saturday morning at the Lewis County Courthouse in Vanceburg.

Democrats will choose their nominee Tuesday evening at an executive committee meeting in Greenup. State Rep. Robin Webb, D-Grayson, and Todd Eastham, a Greenup business safety consultant, are seeking that nomination.

Ditty said Saturday afternoon after a campaign stop at a Bluegrass Festival in Olive Hill that he’s excited about the race and expects a competitive campaign compressed into the short time frame.

“I’m very competitive. I’ve been involved in competitive athletics all my life,” said Ditty, who played tennis in high school and at the University of Kentucky. His daughter, Julie, plays on the World Tennis Association tour.

But he doesn’t expect it to be negative.

“This really isn’t a personal campaign at all,” Ditty said. “The race I’m going to run is going to be a positive campaign.”

Gov. Steve Beshear helped create the vacant seat by offering Borders the appointment to the PSC. That came after Beshear saw his signature legislative issue - expanded gambling at horse tracks – pass the Democratic controlled House but fail in the Republican controlled Senate. During his gubernatorial campaign, Beshear also promised to return the Senate to Democratic control.

Ditty said he’s opposed to expanded gambling.

“I’m very much for doing everything we can to promote the thoroughbred industry,” Ditty said. “But I am opposed to slot machines because I think that diminishes the image of the thoroughbred industry.”

Ditty said his medical expertise will make him a voice in the Senate on health and fitness issues and he thinks those will be campaign issues along with jobs.

“We need to do everything we can to enhance local industry,” Ditty said.

There were plenty of signs the Republican Party isn’t prepared to just give up Borders’ seat in the Democratic majority registration district which covers Bracken, Carter, Greenup, Lewis, Mason and Robertson counties.

State Senators Katie Stine, R-Southgate, and Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, were at Vanceburg Saturday. Ditty’s campaign will be managed by Jeremy Hughes, the campaign manager for Fourth District U.S. Congressman Geoff Davis. The 18th District lies within Davis’ Congressional District.

“We’re going to fight for every vote in the district,” Hughes said. Davis’ campaigns are known for strong get-out-the-vote efforts, and Hughes said that’ll be the case with Ditty’s as well.

“We’ve had a good amount of people tell us they’re ready to go,” Hughes said. “I’m confident we’ll have a very strong get-out-the-vote effort.”

Ditty said he had lunch with Stine and Stivers after the executive committees nominated him.

“They are very eager to help and offered to come over and help in anyway possible,” Ditty said. He said the importance of keeping the district in Republican hands makes the race significant statewide and he thinks he’ll get financial and campaign support from a lot of people, including state Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville.

Hughes said Ditty hasn’t established a campaign fundraising goal yet.

Ditty, 60, lives in Bellefonte, and he and his wife, Juanita, have six children ranging from 26 years old to 35 and five grandchildren.

He is on the staff of King’s Daughters Medical Center and Bellefonte Hospital. He is a 1971 graduate of the University of Kentucky and a graduate of the University of Louisville Medical School. He’s been active in youth athletics, including tennis and soccer.

Ronnie Ellis writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort, Ky. He may be contacted by email at rellis@cnhi.com.