KY: Jack Conway is running

[Bandit3 the Worker]

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/elections/2014/05/05/conway-kentucky-governor-politics/8739937

I'm waiting for the chorus of "R +25 LOLOLOL!"

[badgate]

Exciting! Will be interesting to see how Conway's support of equal marriage plays out in the campaign. However he is an exciting candidate and his leadership definitely inspires me to contribute and encourage Kentuckians I know to pay attention and vote for him.

[free my dawg]

Sick.

[Flake]

D+1

[Hifly]

He's the best candidate Republicans can hope for.

[windjammer]

I don't understand why some people dislike him here. He just lost by 10 point, IN KENTUCKY AND IN A GOP WAVE. And Kentucky was really competitive during the campaign.

[GaussLaw]

I understand why some people dislike him here. He just lost by 10 point, IN KENTUCKY AND IN A GOP WAVE. And Kentucky was really competitive during the campaign.

1. Kentucky is always closer in Senate elections than Presidential.  In 2004, Bush won Kentucky in a landslide and Bunning only won by 1 or 2 points. 
2. Conway would've been within 5ish points, but his gaffe about Aqua Buddha killed it.  Gaffe-prone candidates rarely can stage a comeback.
3.  All of the 2010 Senate attacks are fair game again for Conway.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Announcement video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh3Qfn0ZJEs

[Badger]

He's the best candidate Republicans can hope for.

That would've been John Yarmuth.

[IceSpear]

I'm surprised he came out for SSM if he planned on running for governor. Good for him though. I wonder how close he would've came to winning in 2010 if it wasn't for "Aqua Buddha".

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

Adam Edelen. That's all we need.

[Adam Griffin]

I feel like they both (Conway/Overly) could be more charismatic in that video. There was a part around the 4:00 mark that reminded me of Romney ("I love Kentucky, its towns, its farms, its cities, its mountains, its people").

He's got as good of a shot as any at this point, I'd say. This race won't be decided on a stance on some social issue. If Democrats lose next year, it'll be because it was finally time for it to happen. I'd say Dems have a great shot at keeping the state for the foreseeable future if they make it past this one, though.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

He's got as good of a shot as any at this point, I'd say. This race won't be decided on a stance on some social issue.

The issue it might be decided on is "right-to-work." Jamie Comer might be the Republican nominee, and he's a big "right-to-work" guy. "Right-to-work" is very unpopular in Kentucky.

But it's really the legislature who decides it, because they can override the governor's veto with a simple majority. Then again, a Kentucky House committee recently defeated "right-to-work" 15 to 4. Even 2 of the 6 Republicans voted against it.

Also, I think Adam Edelen might beat Conway in the primary. I think Edelen would have a better chance than Conway in the general election.

[LeBron]

He's got as good of a shot as any at this point, I'd say. This race won't be decided on a stance on some social issue.

The issue it might be decided on is "right-to-work." Jamie Comer might be the Republican nominee, and he's a big "right-to-work" guy. "Right-to-work" is very unpopular in Kentucky.

But it's really the legislature who decides it, because they can override the governor's veto with a simple majority. Then again, a Kentucky House committee recently defeated "right-to-work" 15 to 4. Even 2 of the 6 Republicans voted against it.

Also, I think Adam Edelen might beat Conway in the primary. I think Edelen would have a better chance than Conway in the general election.

Comer might be right-to-work, but the Republican bench in KY is just terrible and he's the least controversial and at least popular for his work in legalizing industrial hemp in the state. You can better believe though that Rand Paul will attempt to recruit Bailey to run and even then if her and Heiner destroy each other in Jefferson County with all of the campaign ads they'd throw at each other with their money and allow for a Comer victory. Paul has to take whatever top-notch Republican he can get if he stands any chance at running for President and re-election to the Senate in 2016.

As for the Democratic primary, I don't think Edelen will challenge him. He's one of the youngest rising stars in the KY Democratic Party and in 2015 rather than beat down Conway he can instead take a shot at any of the 3 open state executive seats (Treasurer, Secy. of State or AG) to at least have more political experience on his belt when he does run for Governor. Both are highly qualified to run for the Democratic nomination, but Edelen also strongly supports LGBT rights and with the Republican frontrunner Comer not one who likes to talk about social issues much, it shouldn't be a big issue in the campaign. Republicans will struggle to connect Conway to Obama anyways given his federal lawsuits over the EPA regulations, how popular Kentuckians love their state exchange, and while Kentuckians oppose SSM, the out-of-state ruling is still being appealed and the issue will only become less discussed over time. I say we stand a much better chance at holding KY than we do at winning LA for sure.