483. Celebration

It has been a year since Kentucky's last Democratic Primary election, one which pitted the current President against the current Secretary of State. I made some congressional district predictions in that race but the only place I was on target was here at home in Kentucky's Third, ably represented by Congressman John Yarmuth, who was unopposed on that day. In Kentucky, as a reminder, the current president did not fare well at all, losing to the current secretary of state 65 to 30, a pitiful showing. He did much better in the fall amongst the general electorate, but still lost by another pitiful showing, 58 to 41, capturing some 300,000 votes less than the Senior Senator from Arizona, who recently announced he was running for re-election in 2010.

Which brings us to Kentucky's next Democratic Primary, which is a year from now on May 18, 2010. We have a United States Senate primary and might have a Mayoral primary here along The Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606. In the former, the current Attorney General, the current Lieutenant Governor, and a former federal inspector of some sort, have all announced their intentions. It will make for an interesting race. In the latter, His Honor the Mayor of Louisville-Jefferson County Metro has not announced his intentions. But, like the Republican Primary for the United States Senate where at least two candidates, Rand Paul and Trey Grayson, have said they will wait for the incumbent to annouce his plans, on this side of the aisle are several persons indicating the same thing.

Lots of speculations begin with the words "If Jerry doesn't run." If Jerry doesn't run, it will only be the second time in twenty-five years he will have made such a decision, and the first time he had no choice as he was term-limited. That is not the present case. He can seek a third term which, if he did and was elected, would make his combined service in a larger city/bigger town like ours one of the longest in the history of the Republic. Of course, such a record would not come close to that of the late Robert Linn, a Republican who served as mayor of Beaver, Pennsylvania, a somewhat smaller burg than Louisville. Linn was first elected in 1945 and served through the middle of his fifteenth term, dying in office at the age of 95.

A lot can happen between now and 4:00 pm on January 26, 2010, the deadline to file for the May 18, 2010 Primary. Stay tuned.

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Oh yeah, a celebration. Today marks the birthdays of several friends of mine - Jerry S. (68), Jim W. (63), Gary P. (52), James J. (31), Keith D. (25), and Casey R. (15). Happy Birthday, one and all. Celebrate.