Big spending, gambling drive special election

Democrat Haydon, Republican Higdon vie for Kelly's old seat

By RONNIE ELLIS

HARRODSBURG — The Dec. 8 special election in the 14th Senate district is shaping up as a very expensive one between Democrat Jody Haydon of Bardstown and Jimmy Higdon of Lebanon.

Higdon reported raising $131,499 Monday but that leaves him far short of the $333,455 Haydon has raised so far in the race. Both are running television ads and an outside group, Keep Our Jobs in Kentucky, is running ads touting Haydon. Ads are running in both Lexington which reaches the eastern part of the district in Mercer County and Louisville which reaches Nelson and other western counties. The district covers Marion, Mercer, Nelson, Taylor and Washington counties.

“If money can buy an election, this one is bought and paid for,” Higdon said Monday just prior to a forum between the two candidates at Mercer County High School.

But Higdon said voters “see through that” and he thinks the race is close. Haydon said the money he’s raised shows the “interest people have in taking back control of the Senate from the majority party.”

That’s one of Haydon’s primary themes: he blames Republican control of the state Senate for “gridlock” and says Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, “has kept every Kentucky Senator right under his thumb.”

The special election will happen because Gov. Steve Beshear appointed Republican Sen. Dan Kelly of Springfield to the circuit bench just as he previously appointed Sen. Charlie Borders, R-Grayson, to the Public Service Commission. Democrat Robin Webb won the special election for Borders’ 18th Senate district, her win narrowing Republican control to 20-17-1 before Kelly resigned to take his seat on the bench.

If Haydon wins, Republicans will have only a 19-18-1 advantage – Paducah Independent Bob Leeper tends to vote with the Republicans. At stake ultimately is control of the Senate, control of re-districting of legislative and congressional districts after next year’s census – and the fate of electronic slots at racetracks.

Haydon said several times Monday he is “not pro-gaming” but he favors the bill pushed by Beshear to allow video lottery terminals at the tracks because he’s tired of seeing Kentucky taxpayers fund new schools, roads and infrastructure in neighboring states which allow gambling. He said he wants the money to protect the 100,000 jobs in the horse industry – a figure used by supporters of gambling and disputed by critics – and he wants the money the state will collect from gambling to prevent layoffs of teachers.

“I’m not pro-gaming but for the life of me I can’t find another revenue stream,” Haydon told the students and a few adults gathered in the Mercer County High auditorium Monday.

Higdon voted against the VLT bill in last summer’s special session but he said he did so because the issue should be decided by voters. He supports a constitutional amendment, saying the people ought to decide the issue. He called the VLT bill “a very bad bill” because it “sold the state out” by giving most of the money to the race tracks.

“That is not right for the racetracks to get $400 million and the state to get $200 million,” Higdon said. Instead, he said, “the people should vote, it should be etched in stone saying where the money is going to go and where the facilities are going to be.”

Dale Emmons, Haydon’s political consultant, said the race will be decided by turnout.

“We know who we need to show up and if we get them to show up, we’ll get a better result,” Emmons said.

Pam Hoots, Mercer County Republican Chair, and Neila Monroe, Mercer County Democratic Chair, agreed turnout will be key.

“I think it will be very close,” Monroe said. “I’d be thrilled with a 20 percent turnout.”

Hoots said people aren’t accustomed to voting in December and she’s predicting around 20 percent turnout – which is generally considered good in a special election with no other offices on the ballot.

Both think gambling is a major issue in the race, but they’re not so sure how it plays district wide. Hoots said Mercer County is more conservative than Nelson County, the district’s most populous county and the home of Haydon.

“People have strong opinions on (gambling),” she said. “Either you’re for it or you’re against it. But I think it helps Higdon in this area, in this county.”

RONNIE ELLIS writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort, Ky. He may be contacted by email at rellis@cnhi.com. Follow CNHI News Service stories on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cnhifrankfort.