Time is running out for any prospective Democratic candidates considering a run for the Governor’s Mansion this year. If no other major candidates file before the January 27 deadline, Attorney General Jack Conway could be headed for a coronation.
With just thirteen days remaining for Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls to make it official and no other big names signing on, Conway is sounding more and more confident the party faithful will line up behind him in May.
"I think it would be a tremendous benefit if we could conserve resources and focus on a solid Kentucky first Democratic message for the entire year," Conway told cn|2 Pure Politics Monday. "If someone wants to get in, I can't stop it. But I'm not hearing anybody getting in. I'm hearing a lot of talk, but actions speak louder than words."
Yet some in the party are uneasy with the prospect of handing the nomination to one candidate without a serious primary challenge. House Speaker Greg Stumbo tells cn|2 some Democrats may be withholding support until the final roster of candidates is in stone.
"You hear a lot of folks worried. There's some concern about his decision not to appeal the same-sex constitutional ruling. There's some concern about the fact that we've never had a governor from Louisville, and we haven't in Kentucky," he said.
As it stands, retired Lexington engineer Geoff Young is the only other Democratic candidate in the field. Meanwhile, three big names have joined the Republican primary – Agriculture Commissioner James Comer, former Louisville Metro Councilman Hal Heiner, and former Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Will T. Scott.
