Published: October 26, 2009 11:28 pm      

Webb’s House seat up for grabs

FRANKFORT — Gov. Steve Beshear on Monday scheduled a special election to fill the vacancy in the state House of Representatives that was created when Robin Webb was elected to the Kentucky Senate in August.

The election for the 96th District House seat that was vacated by Webb will take place on Dec. 8 in Carter and Lewis counties.

Webb, a Democrat, narrowly defeated Republican Jack Ditty, a Bellefonte dermatologist, for the 18th District Senate seat in an Aug. 25 special election. The Senate seat opened up when Beshear appointed Republican Charles Borders to a position with the Kentucky Public Service Commission.

It will be up to the Democrat and Republican executive committees in Carter and Lewis counties to meet and to nominate the candidates for the special election.

Carter County Democratic Party Chairman Ron Bush said Monday that the Democrat executive committees of the two counties would hold a joint meeting at 7 p.m. Monday at the Carter County Justice Center to choose the party’s nominee.

Bush said four candidates had expressed interest in running — Barry Webb and David Hayes, both of Grayson; former Olive Hill Mayor Jim Short and trucking company owner Vernon Adkins, also of Olive Hill.

Other nominees could be considered at the selection meeting, Bush said.

Carter GOP Chairwoman Mignon Colley said Thursday that details were still being worked out for the Carter and Lewis Republic executive committees to meet and select the Republican nominee for the seat.

Colley said there were three declared candidates — Jill York, Vernon Messer and Dallas Burchett, all of Grayson. As with the Democrats, others could be nominated when the two executive committees meet, she said.

Lewis County Clerk Glenda Himes, vice chair of the county Republican Party, said that to the best of her knowledge, no Republicans from Lewis County had indicated interest in running.

Himes said she anticipated the special House election would cost the county about the same as what the one for Borders’ Senate seat did, roughly $20,000.

Carter Clerk Mike Johnston said the election would cost Carter County about $50,000, about the same as the one in August.

The budgets of the counties in the 18th Senate District were strained by the August election because 2009 was supposed to have been an off year for elections in Kentucky and therefore, the fiscal courts didn’t budget any money for that purpose. Carter and Lewis will be further burdened by having to pay for yet another election.

Whoever wins the special election will serve the remainder of Webb’s term, which expires Dec. 31, 2010. Borders’ Senate term also expires next year, meaning Webb also will have to run for re-election to the Senate.

Borders’ appointment to the PSC was widely viewed by political observers as part of an effort by the governor to alter the makeup of the Senate in order to gain passage of his signature legislation, expanded gambling at the state’s horse-racing tracks. Webb voted for the measure in the House, but Borders sided with Senate Republicans in opposing the bill, which failed to make it out of committee.

Also on Monday, Beshear scheduled a Dec. 8 special election the 14th Senate District — Marion, Mercer, Nelson, Taylor and Washington counties — to fill the seat of Dan Kelly, whom Beshear appointed to a judgeship in the 11th Judicial Circuit. Kelly, a Republican, also opposed expanded gaming.

KENNETH HART can be reached at khart@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2654.