Kentucky primary may be key for Democrats

By BILL MARDIS, Editor Emeritus
Commonwealth Journal

Somerset Tue, May 13 2008

— Pulaski County’s more than 11,000 Democrats may have some say in choosing between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama as the Democrat nominee for president of the United States, despite the lateness of the May 20 Kentucky presidential preference primary election.
At this point it seems impossible that either Obama or Clinton can get the 2,025 delegates necessary for nomination. That means that for the first time since 1976, the 2008 Democrat National Convention August 25-28 in Denver likely will open with the identity of the nominee in question.
Primary ballots in Kentucky don’t reflect the current status of the presidential race. For example, John Edwards’ name is still on the Democrat presidential preference ballot in Kentucky, but he has dropped out of the race.
Not on the ballot, but eligible as a write-in Democrat presidential candidate is Keith Russell Judd. An Odessa, Texas, resident and perennial candidate, Judd declared on March 21 to the Kentucky secretary of state his intent to be a write-in candidate for president of the United States.
The highly educated Judd is a musician, among many other things, and has been a candidate for president every four years since 1996. He also has run twice for mayor of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and for governor of Mexico in 1994. His Web site doesn’t say how many states other than Kentucky in which he has made himself eligible as a write-in candidate in the current presidential contest.
Kentucky’s primary elections are closed, meaning only registered Democrats may vote in the Democrat presidential preference primary. Kentucky Democrats use a proportional representation system based on results of the presidential preference primary to appoint delegates to the Democrat National Convention.
Jeremy Horton, executive director of the Kentucky Democrat Party, said Kentucky Democrats will send a total of 60 delegates to the Democrat National Convention August 25-28 in Denver.
Thirty-four of the delegates will be elected at congressional district conventions scheduled at 10 a.m. June 7. One unpledged add-on delegate will be chosen at the state convention at 2 p.m. June 7. Eight superdelegates which include elected and party officials will be selected. Six pledged party leaders will be delegates, and 11 at-large delegates will be chosen by Democrat State Central Executive Committee.
On the Republican side, Arizona Senator John McCain has the 1,191 delegates necessary for nomination and seems certain to be the Republican nominee selected at the GOP National Convention in Minnesota in September. His name will be on the Kentucky presidential primary ballot along with five former candidates. Pulaski County’s more than 28,000 Republicans, if they choose, may give McCain a “me too” vote.
Also on the Republican ballot are Mitt Romney, Alan Keyes, Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul and Rudolph W. Giuliani. A vote for one of these is wasted because they have already dropped by the wayside.
Finally, if two years of campaigning for president have you weary, both the Democrat and Republican ballots have an “uncommitted” slot. Put your “X’ in this box and it means you’re not committed to anybody.
Pulaski County’s presidential preference voting will be in conjunction with the regular Republican and Democrat primaries.

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