KY-Sen: Lunsford Files

Make of this what you will:

Bruce Lunsford, a wealthy Louisville businessman, declared his candidacy for Senate just before Tuesday’s filing deadline, and becomes the frontrunner in the crowded fight for the Democratic nomination. […]

“Last November, Kentuckians embraced change and elected a good man, Steve Beshear (D), to serve as Governor and he will deliver,” Lunsford said in a statement. “This November, Kentuckians should again embrace change and bring Mitch McConnell back home to Kentucky where he belongs. Today, I filed paperwork to enter the race for United States Senate because I can bring Mitch home.”

Beshear, who defeated Lunsford in last year’s gubernatorial primary, called Lunsford “an exceptionally strong candidate,” though he stopped short of offering an endorsement.

Lunsford will square off with another rich dude, Greg Fischer (a CEO of a company that offers “stadium and bleacher solutions”), Iraq vet Andrew Horne, and a merry band of also-rans.

Not being a fan of Lunsford’s two gubernatorial runs, I’m waiting to be impressed by this bunch.

5 thoughts on “KY-Sen: Lunsford Files”

  1. Schumer and Beshear have officially given up on this race, it’ll be up to the grassroots to give Horne a victory in the primary and then knock off Mitch, as he is the only one with a prayer in the general.

  2. while I’m sure that Andrew Horne is a great guy and in a normal race — he would be a tremendous candidate. but let’s be honest here — he is going against the Senate Minority Leader — a longtime statewide figure with a powerful (albeit damaged) political machine, universal name id, and a huge campaign war chest. i know that Andrew has the support of the grassroots and i wholeheartedly understand and appreciate that. buuuuttt — frankly, he stands at best a 5% chance of meeting McConnell. it’s a sad truth — but its just that, the truth.

    Lunsford may not be a great candidate and he may be a “DINO” — but let’s also face reality here. This is Kentucky — its not California, its not Rhode Island, its not Massachusetts. You aren’t going to get a liberal. And further more — he is independently wealthy, which is tremendously important given McConnell’s on-hand cash advantage. Even if Lunsford can’t win (and i’m still not convinced that this race is winnable for us against McConnell in a presidential year…), he’ll be able to invest several million dollars of his own money to make McConnell work and spend his campaign cash on the race. Horne will not be financially competitive enough to force McConnell to do this.  I personally would much rather have Lunsford in the race — forcing McConnell to spend serious money in KY and not writing it over the cash-strapped NRSC.  If McConnell is able to write over even a few million to the NRSC, this could be the difference in “cheap” races in MS and AK.

    You may not like Schumer — but he did what NO ONE thought he could do in 2006.  He won every competitive Senate race and gave Democrats control of the Senate until at least January 2011. While you may not like him personally, you have to give him credit for this and respect his political savy and fundraising capabilities. I think his courting of Lunsford is part of his plan to keep McConnell occupied and unable to help his colleagues and Party.  Maybe if the Republicans lose 5-7 seats in the Senate — and even if McConnell is re-elected — then maybe, just maybe we’ll still be able to get retribution for Daschle’s loss. Maybe McConnell will get the boot as Leader and be nothing more than a rank and file senator…which would probably do just as much damage to his ego as a loss would…

  3. Being more liberal than I am moderate, I really like the candidacy of Andrew Horne and all that it stands for.  However, being a realist, I have come to realize that while Horne may have been a great attack battery for us and really brought forth an attack on McConnell, that Lunsford is the best candidate to defeat him.  

    Lunsford has more than enough personal wealth to match McConnell dollar for dollar an he has shown a willingness to spend it.  

    Lunsford came in second in the Democratic primary for governor against a great man in Beshear and I can rest easy knowing that had Lunsford beaten Beshear in the primary, Lunsford would be governor.  

    Lunsford has a high name ID, a strong group of support within the state and would have support from national Dems, all things a Horne candidadcy would not have.  

    and for my final point, as the last commenter points out, while Horne is a great progressive, this is Kentucky.  If this was Massachusetts, I’d be all form him and keeping the DINO Lunsford out of the race, but just like Brad Ellsworth in Indiana, this race is acceptable to have a DINO.  We may attempt to get rid of the Al Wynn’s and Dan Lipinski’s of the world but we can do so because they sit in liberal districts where a Mark Pera and Donna Edwards can win against any Republican.  Kentucky is not one of those districts.  It is a Republican state that will likely vote for the Republican Presidential candidate.  Lunsford may not be my favorite Democrat, but I like him a lot more than I like McConnell, and if supporting Lunsford is what it will take to get rid of McConnell then I’ll do that too.  

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