Published: January 14, 2007 02:21 pm      

Northup will enter governor's race

by Ronnie Ellis

FRANKFORT — A lot of people really want to become governor after all. For a while – as various Democrats on the “A-List” publicly declined to run – it seemed few were interested in the office.

Well, get ready for a week of announcements and filings. If the rumors have any credence – a dangerous assumption in Frankfort – we could see as many as four additional candidates jump in the race in the coming week alone. Others may follow later.

Republican Anne Northup of Louisville is all but certain to run against the incumbent governor of her own party, Ernie Fletcher. House Minority Leader Jeff Hoover, R-Jamestown, spoke openly this week of the possibility he’ll run with her for Lieutenant Governor; U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell Thursday called her a “formidable” candidate “who could win in May and November,” a statement he declined to apply to Fletcher.

Just as persuasive, there are the worried expressions of Fletcher and his staff.

It won’t be easy for Northup, but that has never deterred her. She held a Democrat district seat for 10 years, she was among the best fund raisers in Congress, and she is fiercely competitive. She’s tough, smart and knows how to campaign.

On the Democrat side, House Speaker Jody Richards will run. Anyone who has watched Richards since his near-miss in the 2003 primary knew he would. Richards misread his late surge in that primary (it was more reaction to the negative ads of Ben Chandler and Bruce Lunsford than enthusiasm for him), but things have changed. With the right running mate, Richards and his nice-guy, clean image might become the front runner in a large field.

There’s talk that Attorney General Greg Stumbo could run with Richards. The downside is it tarnishes Richards’ image at a time voters are weary of scandal and the Merit System investigation. The upside is tying Richards’ southern and western Kentucky ties to Stumbo’s base in eastern Kentucky – along with Stumbo’s political skills.

Or Stumbo might run himself. Former Lt. Gov. Steve Henry is set to announce – assuming he’s finally found a running mate. Already in are Jonathan Miller, Steve Beshear and Otis Hensley who hopes to ride that bull into the governor’s office. Gadfly Gatewood Galbraith is expected to announce at some point. Lunsford or Ron Geary might still enter the Democratic race.

But keep an eye on Charlie Owen, Chandler’s 2003 running mate who appeared to drop off the political radar screen after Chandler was unable to persuade him and Miller to form a ticket.

If Owen were to team up with someone like fellow millionaire Geary, they might be hard to beat and impossible to outspend.

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