FRANKFORT — Frankfort will be watching the outcome of both the May 20 Republican and Democratic primaries for the 9th Senate District, which stretches from the Tennessee border to the Green River.

Incumbent Republican Richie Sanders is retiring and three Republicans and three Democrats want his job. Four live in Barren County, the most populous of the six counties in the district. Registered Democrats have an edge but three counties (Edmonson, Green and Allen) are Republican and the district often votes Republican. (Metcalfe and Simpson are the other counties.)

Gov. Steve Beshear and Democrats see the race as a chance to pick up a seat in the Republican-controlled Senate while Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, intends to hold it.

On the Republican side, weekly newspaper publisher Jeff Jobe of Glasgow, Bob Bryant, a Glasgow small businessman, and farm supply business owner David Givens of Green County are running. Broadcasting executive Steve Newberry of Hise-ville, is considered the favorite on the Democratic side. He’s challenged by Glasgow attorney John Rogers and former Army officer and law enforcement professional Horace Johnson of Allen County.

“That’s a good race on both sides,” said Williams. “Every one of them seems to think he’s going to win.”



Democrats

Newberry, 46, has the backing of the local Democratic establishment, has raised the most money and his father once held the seat. Active in the local economic development efforts, Newberry says jobs, economic development, health care and education are the key issues.

“The big issue in this district and the state as a whole is concern about the general condition of the economy,” Newberry said. Education, he says, is key to improving the economic outlook.

“If you have a better educated population,” Newberry said, “you have a healthier population, fewer criminal problems, fewer revenue problems.”

Johnson, the former chief of police at Western Kentucky University and a former state criminal justice official, identifies the same three issues as key.

“This district is losing jobs almost daily – even Barren County,” Johnson said. “Jobs are moving out of the area. And rising costs of post-secondary education is pricing people right out of an education.”

Johnson, 60, who has a masters in public administration, said he has the experience to get things done in the legislature from his days in state government. “I know how the system works,” Johnson said. “I’ve sat at that table across from the legislators and testified about criminal justice programs.”

Rogers, 46, the former chairman of the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, describes himself as “a common-sense, conservative Democrat.”

His television advertising has focused on gambling and taxes and says it’s time for people to tell Frankfort what to do rather than the other way around.

“People are pretty disgusted with Frankfort and I think they’re attuned to our message that there needs to be a change,” Rogers said.

“The Frankfort insiders don’t support my campaign because they know I want to make changes in Frankfort,” Rogers said.

All three are personally opposed to expanded gambling, but each believes voters want to vote on the question. All agreed the pension funds for teachers and state employees must be addressed by changing the benefit structure for future hires while keeping the promise of the current benefits for existing employees and retirees.

They all oppose higher taxes.



Republicans

Much of the Republican race has focused on Barren County where Jobe and Bryant live.

Givens, from Green County, has campaigned hard in Barren County and appears to be making an impression there.

Jobe characterizes himself as a social conservative and uses his newspapers to trumpet conservative causes. He says he is “absolutely, adamantly opposed to expanded gambling” and opposes any tax increase.

He says state government can manage its fiscal problems through “better business practices, by better utilizing the bucks we have in place right now.”

“If it requires juggling or moving things around to make for a better business climate, I’m in,” Jobe said.

Bryant, 51, is the brother-in-law of former Republican Barren County Judge-Executive David Dickerson and current magistrate Carl Dickerson, who are active in his campaign. He has campaigned as the only “real Barren County candidate,” a jab at both Givens and Jobe, who is a Greenup County native.

Bryant said small business “is steadily losing ground. We need somebody in Frankfort from the small business field to give people an idea of what we’re up against.”

He recently aired a television ad criticizing comments from Givens about the cigarette tax, an indication Givens may be gaining ground.

Givens, 41, said he’s against raising taxes of any kind but state government must have a reliable revenue stream to meet its obligations.

“My first response is to focus on growing the economy, which would grow our tax base,” said Givens, who has an agriculture degree and a masters in communications from Western Kentucky University. “But I’m on record as saying I could accept a 25-cent increase in the cigarette tax.”

Givens said individual lawmakers need a broader perspective than just pushing local projects to curry favor back home.

“Legislators are elected to represent the people of their district and I intend to do that,” Givens said. “But we must also move Kentucky forward as a whole.”

All three oppose expanded gambling and all three think the state pension fund must eventually change the benefit structure for future employees to remain solvent.

Ronnie Ellis writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com.