Higdon win means new Pulaski rep.

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December 9, 2009

Five precincts affected by special election

By BILL MARDIS, Editor Emeritus The Commonwealth Journal Wed Dec 09, 2009, 08:47 PM EST

Five precincts in northern Pulaski County, including the city of Eubank, will have a new state representative in Frankfort.

Jimmy Higdon, a Lebanon grocer and currently state representative from the 24th House District, won a special election Tuesday to represent Kentucky’s 14th Senatorial District made up of Marion, Mercer, Nelson, Taylor and Washington counties. Higdon, who defeated Democrat Jodie Haydon by a vote of 11,327 to 8,881, will replace Republican Dan Kelly. Gov. Steve Beshear appointed Kelly to a circuit judgeship.

The 24th House District seat Higdon will vacate includes Eubank, Ansel, Fall Branch, Buncombe and Mt. Zion precincts in Pulaski County. Higdon will serve the remainder of Kelly’s term, ending the first Monday of January 2011.

At the moment, it’s not clear when and if a special election would be held in the 24th House District when Higdon resigns his House seat and moves to the Senate. If he resigns now, there would be a vacancy for more than a year in Higdon’s term in the 24th House District.

The five Pulaski County precincts are the only part of Pulaski County affected by Higdon’s victory. This county is in the 15th Senatorial District, represented by Vernie McGaha.

Pulaski County is sliced with parts of five House districts. Democrats in Frankfort, in what Republicans called gerry-mandering, several years ago divided this county into segments of five House districts in an effort to diffuse what they perceived to be a GOP stronghold.

Another of Pulaski County’s partial House districts will have new representation in Frankfort next year. Ken Upchurch, Monticello, representative from the 52nd District, is a candidate for Wayne County judge-executive. Sara Beth Gregory, an attorney associated with the Carroll and Turner law firm in Monticello, has filed for the 52nd District seat. She, like Upchurch, is a Republican.

The 52nd District includes Naomi East, Bronston North, Burnside County West, Burnside County East, Burnside County, North Burnside City and Okalona precincts in southern and southwestern Pulaski County. Wayne and McCreary counties make up the remainder of the district.

Danny Ford, Mt. Vernon, representing the 80th House District, and Jeffrey H. Hoover, Jamestown, representing the 83rd House District, both filed Letters of Intent with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, indicating they will be candidates for reelection. Tommy Turner, representing the 85th House District, is the only state representative who lives in Pulaski County. He has said he will seek another term. The 80th, 83rd and 85th House districts extend into Pulaski County.

The special election won by Higdon gives Republicans a 19 to 18 majority in the Senate, with one independent. Democratic control of the Senate could have paved the way for approval of slot machines or video lottery terminals at the state’s racetracks. Republicans hinted Beshear appointed Kelly to the judgeship in hopes of adding a Democrat to the Senate.

Higdon has represented the 24th House District for the past seven years. The district includes Casey and Marion counties plus the five aforementioned precincts in northern Pulaski County. He told the Commonwealth Journal earlier this year that if he were not successful in the special election for Kelly’s Senate seat he probably would file for reelection to his House seat.

The Commonwealth Journal was unable to contact Higdon at his home or workplace Tuesday, but the Lexington Herald-Leader quoted him as saying he will be a candidate next year for a full four-year term in the Senate from the 14th District.

Up to now only Terry Mills, a Democrat, has filed for the 24th District seat. Efforts were unsuccessful to contact House Minority Leader Jeff Hoover to see if Republicans would field a GOP candidate for the 24th House District seat. The filing deadline is 4 p.m. January 26.

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