Published: July 21, 2009 11:15 pm      

Webb chosen for 18th District senate run

GRAYSON — Democrat Robin Webb, who has represented the 96th District in the Kentucky House of Representatives for 11 years, will face Republican Jack Ditty of Bellefonte Aug. 25 in a special election to fill the 18th District seat in the Kentucky Senate vacated by the resignation of Republican Charlie

Borders, who stepped down to accept an appointment to the Public Service Commission.

Webb of Grayson outpolled Todd Eastham Tuesday night in a vote by approximately 200 Democrats, all members of their county¹s Democratic

Executive Committee, who packed a courtroom on the third floor of the Greenup County Courthouse.

While Webb, who has represented Carter and Lewis counties in the House of Representatives since 1999, will be facing Ditty, who is making his first run for pubic office, in the special election, to listen to Webb speak at Tuesday¹s gathering of Democrats one could have drawn the conclusion that her opponent was Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville.

Without mentioning Williams by name, she said this election was "about restoring democracy in the Kentucky Senate" because it doesn¹t now exist.

Instead, all the power lies in the hands of one man and " want to cut him down a bit."

As the vice chairperson of the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee, Webb said she has spent many 18-hour days working on the budget, only to have that work destroyed by the Republican-controlled Senate. "We work hard in the House putting together a good budget, and he (Williams) comes in and says no, no, no," she said.

With redistricting coming up after the 2010 Census, Webb said it is important that the Democrats regain the majority in the Senate. Otherwise, theRepublicans will redraw district lines to benefit the GOP.

While her election alone will not restore control of the Senate to the Democratic Party, "it will be an important step in the right direction," Webb said.

Webb said she expects the campaign in the 18th District. which includes the counties of Carter, Greenup, Lewis, Mason, Bracken and Robertson. to be a "bit nasty."

"I¹ve been a national target before and I can withstand it again," said the Grayson attorney. Because this is the only legislative race now taking place in Kentucky, it has attracted statewide and even national attention, she said.

Democrats attending the meeting said the campaign manager of U.S. Rep. Geoff Davis already has agreed to help Ditty, and they expect Davis to actively campaign for Ditty, an Ashland dermatologist.

Both Webb and Eastham, a Greenup County businessman making his first bid for public office, spoke to the overflow crowd after being nominated for the vacant seat. Only members of the Democratic executive committee in each county were allowed to vote, with the votes from each county being weighted based on the party's registration in each county.

Webb said she was 'humbled' by being her party¹s choice a promised to work full time until the election day to help the Democratic Party pick up a seat in the Senate. "I'll be calling on each of you in the next few days," she said. "You can guarantee that because I need all of you to help me. We need to keep our eyes on the prize which is victory of the Democratic Party."

Greenup County Democratic Party Executive Committee Chairperson Hattie Zabrieszack chaired the hour-long meeting with members of the Kentucky Democratic Party Executive Committee from outside the district overseeing the voting.

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