Rep. Jim Glenn to appear on Kentucky Tonight Monday

Rep. Jim Glenn

State Rep. Jim Glenn, an Owensboro Democrat, will appear on Kentucky Educational Television’s Kentucky Tonight program on Monday.

Glenn, who won a second term in the state House of Representatives in November, will join fellow House lawmakers Jim Wayne, a Louisville Democrat, Ken Upchurch, a Monticello Republican and Alecia Webb-Edgington, a Fort Wright Republican. 

Host Bill Goodman will be talking with the four legislators about the upcoming legislative session. The show begins at 7 p.m. CST.

Alessi’s second tier of KY races this year

The Herald-Leader’s Ryan Alessi today followed his top 10 list of Kentucky races this year from Monday with a second tier that includes the race for the 13th District seat in the Kentucky House. 

Incumbent Democrat Jim Glenn is being challenged by Republican Ben Boarman in the 13th this year in Boarman’s first political contest. The 13th District includes most of the city of Owensboro.

Boarman will be hosting Secretary of State Trey Grayson for a fundraiser tonight in Owensboro, and has been trying to overcome what is his biggest challenge at this point – name recognition. 

Glenn, a former city commissioner who is seeking a second term in the Kentucky House, brought in Gov. Steve Beshear for a fundraiser this summer, and was leading Boarman in fundraising through the last reporting period.

Unfortunately, the two have not had a chance to meet each other for a debate, and likely won’t before Nov. 4. They were scheduled to both participate in the Red, White and Blue Picnic last month, but that event was cancelled. 

The next round of campaign finance reports is due this week, so we’ll see what’s happened to that fundraising gap then. 

Here’s Alessi’s quick take on the 13th – 

Democratic Rep. Jim Glenn of Owensboro was one of the few freshman Democrats to draw a re-election challenge. To win a second term he must get past Ben Boarman, an Owensboro businessman who owns commercial and residential real estate as well as a bar and pawn. The district, however, is heavily Democratic and has been voting that way in recent elections.

H-L: Stumbo to run for speaker of the House

Rep. Greg Stumbo, the former state House majority floor leader and state attorney general from Kentucky, ended months of speculation today by telling the Herald-Leader he is running for House speaker.

Stumbo told the Herald-Leader’s Ryan Alessi and Larry Dale Keeling that he will challenge Rep. Jody Richards of Bowling Green, the state’s longest-serving House speaker, in January’s leadership elections.

Stumbo told Keeling he hasn’t obtained many commitments for votes from fellow House members, but feels he would win the election were it held today.

“The entire membership feels like a lot of times we haven’t held our ground and that, in some instances, we haven’t been as forceful in maintaining our positions as Sen. Williams and the senate conferees have been,” Alessi quotes Stumbo as saying.

I’m interested to see how several members of the local delegation side come January.

Rep. Jim Glenn of Owensboro, who is being challenged this November by Republican Ben Boarman, relied on Richards two years ago when he unseated Republican Joe Bowen in the 13th District. Richards also attended an Owensboro fundraiser this summer for Glenn.

But Glenn was critical of the House leadership following this spring’s legislative session, and said recently that he is focusing on the election in November and not the one in January.

Similarly, Rep. Tommy Thompson of Philpot has been a Richards ally in the past, including supporting the Bowling Green Democrat’s campaign for governor last spring. Thompson was also named to chair the House Banking and Insurance Committee last year by the Richards-headed House leadership.

But Thompson reportedly attended a recent luncheon at a recent luncheon in Frankfort hosted by Stumbo to help connect some House members with possible campaign contributors.

Boarman taps Grayson for fundraiser

Republican Ben Boarman, who is challenging state Rep. Jim Glenn this year in the 13th District, said Friday Secretary of State Trey Grayson will be headlining a fundraiser for him next month.

Boarman, an Owensboro businessman in his first political race, said Grayson will be in town Oct. 7 for the event at the home of Jim Henry, the owner of Tri-State Mailing Systems.

Boarman said several weeks ago that he had surpassed $20,000 in campaign cash after ending the last reporting period on June 30 with about $11,000. Glenn had more than $20,000 through the close of the last reporting period.

Glenn has since held a fundraiser that brought Gov. Steve Beshear to town along with House Speaker Jody Richards and state Treasurer Todd Hollenbach.

Grayson has been active campaigning for Republican candidates, and is routinely discussed as a potential candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010 or governor in 2011.

Boarman made his pitch to the Republican faithful Friday at the opening of the party’s campaign headquarters in Owensboro, and targeted Glenn, though not by name.

Glenn won the 13th District seat, which represents most of the city of Owensboro, two years ago by beating Joe Bowen, a local businessman who was in his first term in the state House. That seat had been held previously by Brian Crall, another Republican who went on to serve in the administration of Gov. Ernie Fletcher.

“Two years ago we lost the seat and we lost the pride,” Boarman said. “We deserve a state representative that produces, not just promises. … Owensboro deserves more.”

Beshear attends Glenn fundraiser

Despite citing scheduling conflicts ealier, Gov. Steve Beshear made an appearance Monday night at an Owensboro fundraiser for Rep. Jim Glenn.

Beshear stopped in at the home of Claire Neal on Fieldcrest Drive for about 20 minutes with his wife, Jane, before heading to a town hall meeting in Henderson, according to Glenn.

“They made an adjustment to his schedule,” said Glenn, an Owensboro Democrat who is running for a second term representing the 13th House district. “We had a nice turnout.”

Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo was supposed to headline the event that also drew House Speaker Jody Richards of Bowling Green and state Treasurer Todd Hollenbach.

Among the legislators attending the event were Rep. Joni Jenkins of Louisville, who is running for speaker pro tem and is backed by Richards for that post. Also in attendance was Johnny Bell, a Glasgow Democrat who is running unopposed this year, and former governor and U.S. Sen. Wendell Ford, Glenn said.

Moneywise, the event was productive, according to Glenn, though he didn’t have a tally of what he raised.

“We got a bowl full of checks, so we raised a good sum of money,” Glenn said. “The money is still coming in.”

Through June 30, Glenn had about $21,000 in cash on hand for his campaign compared to about the $11,000 his Republican opponent, Owensboro businessman Ben Boarman, had in his campaign chest.

Boarman said last week that he has since supassed the $20,000 mark for his campaign.

Mongiardo to campaign for Rep. Jim Glenn, opponent Ben Boarman hopes for Grayson visit

Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo will join state Treasurer Todd Hollenbach and House Speaker Jody Richards in Owensboro on Monday for a fundraiser for Rep. Jim Glenn.

The Owensboro Democrat had hoped to bring in Gov. Steve Beshear for the private event at the Fieldcrest Drive home of Claire Neal, but scheduling conflicts will keep the governor away, Glenn said.

Glenn is facing Republican and local businessman Ben Boarman, who said Wednesday he is hoping to bring in Secretary of State Trey Grayson for a fundraising event in either late September or early October.

Through the end of June, Glenn was leading Boarman in fundraising with more than $21,000 in cash on hand, compared to Boarman’s $11,000.

Read more about the fundraisers in Friday’s Messenger-Inquirer.