Published: June 11, 2009 08:31 am      

Grayson to visit Corbin for fundraiser

By Ronnie Ellis / CNHI News Writer

Trey Grayson may only be exploring a run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Jim Bunning.

But Kentucky’s Republican Secretary of State is busy raising money — and next Monday, he’s going to be in Corbin raising it.

Brandon Fogle of the Forcht Group of Kentucky said Terry and Marion Forcht, Roger Alsip, Robert and Penny Brown, Debbie Reynolds, Rodney and Laurie Shockley and Mark Terry are hosting a fundraiser at 5 p.m. that day at The Depot on Main.

Grayson will attend the event.

Co-hosts are Bruce Carpenter, Dennis Patrick, Jeff Tipton and Wes Tipton. Shannon Rickett, Jackie Willis, David Witt, Ted Forcht — Terry Forcht’s son — and Anthony Grubb are listed as sponsors.

Bunning has said he’s staying in the race, although prominent Republican officials, including Kentucky’s senior U.S. Senator, Mitch McConnell, have been cool toward the 77-year-old Major League Hall of Famer’s intention to seek a third term. Bunning has blasted McConnell, saying McConnell doesn’t want him to run and has undermined Bunning’s efforts to raise money for the race.

Bunning raised only $263,000 during the first quarter, fueling speculation he might retire. Subsequently, he gave his blessing to Grayson — the two have been close for years — to form an exploratory committee. Grayson has said he won’t run in a primary against Bunning — but he has of late taken to qualifying that statement by saying he has no plans at this time to do so.

Fogle said the prominent local Republican names on the invitation to the June 15 fundraiser don’t represent an endorsement of Grayson over Bunning.

“It’s not necessarily a direct endorsement of Trey Grayson,” Fogle said. “It’s support for the Republican Party. This is to make sure we have ample resources for the Republican Party in 2010.”

He said if Bunning should choose not to seek a third term, “Trey Grayson has shown himself to be a capable and well-regarded leader” who won two statewide races in a state that still has more Democratic registered voters.

Grayson isn’t the only Republican interested in the job if Bunning pulls out. Bowling Green ophthamologist Rand Paul — the son of one-time presidential candidate Texas Congressman Ron Paul — and former Ambassador to Latvia, Cathy Bailey of Louisville, have also expressed interest in the race.

On the Democratic side, Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo — who lost narrowly to Bunning in 2004 while President George W. Bush was winning Kentucky by a huge margin — announced in December he wants another shot at Bunning. He reported raising $420,000 in the first quarter of the year. Attorney General Jack Conway has also announced, although he did so after the first-quarter reporting period. Also running is McCreary County resident, Darlene Fitzgerald Price, a former U.S. Customs agent.

Republicans are trying desperately to retain at least 41 seats in the Senate, a number which allows them to thwart Democrats’ ability to pass legislation without Republican support. That means the Kentucky race in 2010 could be a nationally-targeted race on which both national parties are likely to lavish a lot of spending. Some are rating Bunning the most vulnerable incumbent Senator on the 2010 ballot.

Fogle concedes the national political climate could make the 2010 race “a tremendous uphill battle for Republicans” and the race is likely to receive lots of attention from both national political parties.

He said Grayson has appeal across party lines, something which would make him an attractive candidate should Bunning not run for re-election.