Kentucky Republican Party celebrates shifting tide in voter registration; McConnell given much of credit

By Tom Latek
Kentucky At present

Kentucky Republicans held a celebratory press convention on the State Capitol in Frankfort this week to mark the primary time in historical past that extra Kentuckians are registered Republicans than Democrats.

“This can be a very historic milestone for the Republican Occasion of Kentucky,” mentioned RPK Chairman Mac Brown, referring to the numbers just lately issued by the State Board of Elections. “That report confirms the Republican Occasion is Kentucky’s Occasion. It’s clear that Kentuckians see the Republican Occasion because the social gathering greatest outfitted to characterize them.”

He acknowledged that the change didn’t occur in a single day, declaring that when Mitch McConnell was first elected to the U.S. Senate, there have been 1.3 million registered Democrats, and simply over a half-million Republicans.

Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, identified one impact of the change. “The governor is now going to be required to nominate board members to numerous establishments based mostly on the political registrations. For instance, board members on the College of Kentucky should be predominantly Republican registration.”

Home Speaker David Osborne, R-Prospect, mentioned that is about extra than simply R and D. “Granted that’s the scorecard that we’re given right now, however that is in regards to the folks of Kentucky standing up and saying, ‘We would like one thing totally different. And never solely do we wish one thing totally different, we’re one thing totally different.’”

Former RPK Chair Ellen Williams mentioned issues have come a great distance for the reason that 1999 election, when Republicans solely had one statewide candidate, Peppy Martin for Governor, who was defeated by Paul Patton. “All the opposite constitutional workplaces had been Democrats working unopposed.”

One other former GOP Chair, Steve Robertson, famous, as did different audio system, that credit score should be given to McConnell. “Early on in his political profession, he was astute sufficient to know that west Kentucky was the way forward for the Republican Occasion, and it actually has turned out to be that means. It’s powerful to discover a legislator west of Bowling Inexperienced that could be a Democrat, within the Senate or the Home.”

In response to the newest figures from the State Board of Elections, the variety of registered Republican voters in Kentucky now stands at 1,612,060, in comparison with 1,609,569 registered Democrats, giving Republicans a voter registration benefit of two,491 voters. A complete of 189,727 are registered with different events, with 137,116 registering as independents.