Candidates keep making news after the debate

By Cheyene Miller

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The three men running for governor battled on stage for an hour at Bellarmine University but put on smiles for reporters afterwards, and kept making news.

During the debate Republican Matt Bevin accused Democrat Jack Conway, the state’s attorney general, of not enforcing the law that says university boards should be racially and politically inclusive, in reference to the University of Louisville board of trustees having no black members despite the city being more than 20 percent black.

Conway, who has said he would correct that, put some distance between himself and Democratic Gov, Steve Beshear as he spoke with reporters afterward.

“I’m disappointed in the governor that he didn’t put African Americans on the U of L board … and when I’m governor I’m going to rectify that,” Conway said.

Independent candidate Drew Curtis told reporters that he thinks he can win because Democrats and Republicans aren't enthused about their candidates and may not vote. "All of my people are coming," he said.

Curtis said that if he were not in the race he would vote for the Republican slate of Matt Bevin and running mate, Jenean Hampton, because of her.

“She’s a huge nerd, just like me, and we talked about who was the best Batman,” said Curtis to a group of reporters after the debate.

Phillip M. Bailey, an African American who is a reporter for The Courier-Journal, asked Bevin if he is receiving negative feedback from the eastern and western parts of the state for having an African American running mate who would be Kentucky’s first black statewide elective officeholder.

“It may be unconventional, but let me tell you something, it’s 2015, it’s time,” said Bevin, who said liberal Democrats often support inclusivity and diversity, but that for his campaign “the proof is in the pudding.”

Bevin is the father of four adoptive children from Ethiopia, and has pointedly said he is not running against President Obama, whose race has been a factor in opposition to Obama from Kentucky voters, according to exit polls.

After the debate, Conway repeated his criticism of Bevin for not releasing his tax returns, a major talking point for Conway and Kentucky Democrats.

“I have an opponent who’s the number one tax delinquent in his region and now won’t release his tax returns,” Conway told reporters. Fact-checkers found in 2013 that Bevin’s tax delinquencies were the result of a change in mortgage companies and the troubles of a business that he was not operating at the time its taxes went delinquent.

Bevin: 'odds are increasingly high' he will win, and is vetting possible appointees and seeking suggestions

By Anthony Pendleton
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications

Republican gubernatorial candidate Matt Bevin said Thursday “the odds are increasingly high" that he will win the Nov. 3 election, and is encouraging the public to submit considerations for cabinet positions through his website.

At a Commerce Lexington luncheon, Kentucky Coal Association President Bill Bissett asked the candidate, "Tell us what a Bevin administration would be like . . . Hiring practices? If you would win, it'd be a change in party as well. . . . So how would you handle that process?"

Bevin replied that he will be as "unencumbered" as Democrat John Y. Brown Jr., who also self-funded his own primary campaign, was in his 1979-83 term.

“One thing John Y. did well is, he brought together professionals,” Bevin said. “He was agnostic, as I will be, with respect to party. I don’t give a rip whether they’re Republican or Democrat. That's the thing that has been killing this state, and others, for far too long. Let's remove the partisanship, and let's start governing as if we're being good stewards of the taxpayers' money.”

Earlier, Bevin said, "There's not one person who has been promised a job. There is not one favor that needs to be paid back. There was not a single elected official - not one - who supported me or endorsed me during the primary. . . . This is wonderful! I've got no favors to pay back."

Bevin says people who have suggestions for cabinet positions should send him "the person's name, what their qualifications are, what you think they would be good at, and how I can get a-hold of 'em."

              

Bevin said he has "already started [candidates] through the vetting process" because he doesn't want to get behind. "One mistake that is often made is that you wait until you win, and then all of a sudden you gotta transition, and you gotta submit a budget. All of a sudden, you're upside-down."

Under Section 73 of the Constitution of Kentucky, the governor is inaugurated the fifth Tuesday after election, which will be Dec. 8. Newly elected governors have 15 legislative days to submit a budget, meaning it will be due on or before Jan. 26.

In replying to Bissett, and earlier in the luncheon, Bevin said the odds are increasing that he will be governor. When asked afterward what made him think that, he replied, "I think if you just look at the trends themselves - not only in terms of what people care about, the things they're talking about - but, frankly, polling as well."

Bevin added that "there's only been one poll done" that shows him behind. He said that poll was conducted by "a combination of several different media outlets who have been historically, sort of, lopsided in their thinking and historically wrong."

Bevin was referring to the Bluegrass Poll, conducted for Louisville’s WHAS-TV and The Courier-Journal, and the Lexington Herald-Leader and WKYT-TV. In its latest survey, July 22-28, Conway led Bevin 45 percent to 42 percent, and 43-38 with the inclusion of independent Drew Curtis, who got 8 percent. The only other public poll was conducted by Public Policy Polling from June 18-21. Bevin led 40-38 in that poll. Both results were within the polls’ margins of error.

The Bluegrass Poll sponsors are also sponsoring the first debate among the three candidates this Tuesday, Sept. 15, from 7 to 8 p.m. at Bellarmine University in Louisville. It will broadcast live on WKYT and WHAS, and will also be available on the sponsors' websites.