By Mark Hansel
NKyTribune contributor
Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner and Republican gubernatorial candidate James Comer delivered the messages supporters wanted to hear at a fundraising event in Northern Kentucky last week.
The event, which also featured Comer’s running mate, State Sen. Chris McDaniel, R- Taylor Mill, took place at the Union home of local businessman Dustin DiChiara.
Comer drew loud applause when he said one of his primary goals, if elected, is to ensure that the Northern Kentucky dollars that get sent to Frankfort are returned to the region.
“One of the changes we are going to bring to state government is that we’re going to invest your tax dollars, your infrastructure dollars, where we get the greatest return on your investment,” Comer said. “We get the greatest return in places like Northern Kentucky, Louisville and Lexington. You already generate an enormous percentage of the revenue for the state (and) if you add a few more roads, a few more bridges and projects like that, we believe you’ll continue to grow the economy here.”
Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear will complete his second term this year and is not eligible for re-election. Without an incumbent in the race, Republicans see an opportunity to reclaim the governor’s mansion for the first time since Beshear defeated Ernie Fletcher in 2007.
Comer announced his candidacy at the Fancy Farm picnic in August and officially kicked off the campaign in his hometown of Tompkinsville in September.
Since that time he has raised $1.1 million, which is an impressive total at this early stage.
“That’s hard to do in a primary, because $1,000 is the maximum anybody can donate,” Comer said. “It takes a lot of donors to make up $1.1 million and we’re proud of that because that demonstrates our base of support out there.”
Comer will need all of that money and more to keep pace with his chief rival among those who have announced plans to seek the Republican nomination.
Hal Heiner, a former Metro Louisville councilman, has committed more than $4 million of his own money to his campaign. Heiner’s running mate is KC Crosbie, a former Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilwoman. Comer said McDaniel’s inclusion on the ticket will give the people of Northern Kentucky something they haven’t had in a long time – a voice in the governor’s mansion.
McDaniel said he got into politics because he was dissatisfied with the way things were done and was encouraged by (Comer’s) level of commitment and ability to provide oversight to his office.
“When he asked me to take his ideas to the next level, I jumped at the opportunity because he is passionate about making Kentucky a better place,” McDaniel said. “While we come from different parts of the state, we share a very similar vision of how to move it forward.”
Comer has been critical of Beshear at times, including the governor’s decision to expand the state’s Medicaid program under the federal Affordable Care Act. The expansion prompted a sharp increase in the number of people who signed up for the government-funded health insurance.
“When you look at Kentucky right now…25 percent of the state is on Medicaid,” Comer said. “That’s not sustainable and those of us that work hard and pay taxes know that free health care really isn’t free. Somebody is going to have to pay for it.”
He says among the reasons he chose McDaniel as his running mate is that he understands the budgetary challenges facing the next governor.
“Never have you seen someone in their first term get chosen to be chairman of the appropriations and revenue committee, which is the most powerful committee in Frankfort,” Comer said. “(McDaniel) was chosen to be chairman …because he understands the budget and his peers understand that somebody is going to have to be pretty sharp to figure out how we are going to pay for this Medicaid expansion. How we are going to pay for this pension system that is about $30 billion underfunded.”
Comer said the way to eliminate poverty is to change the business climate in the state.
“The way to get people out of poverty is to create an environment where those people living in poverty have access to a good paying job,” Comer said.
While Comer’s message resonates in Northern Kentucky, it has raised some alarm bells in Eastern Kentucky, where poverty is a way of life for many and financial assistance is essential to survival.
Comer is undaunted by critics and is confident that as people in the eastern counties hear his message, they will embrace it.
“I look at Eastern Kentucky differently because I think it could be like Northern Kentucky someday, but there has to be a plan that doesn’t involve more government assistance,” Comer said. “It has to involve the government creating an environment where private companies want to go in and make a private sector investment. I’ve spent a lot of time in Eastern Kentucky and I believe we can put together a coalition of entrepreneurs that will attract investment and that’s the way we can get people out of poverty.”
On thing that could bode well for Comer moving forward, if he can expand it beyond Northern Kentucky, is the ability to unite factions within the Republican Party.
The group at the fundraiser included Boone County Commissioner Charlie Walton and county Property Valuation Administrator Cindy Arlinghaus who have strong support among Tea Party Republicans. Also on hand were more mainstream GOP members, including Boone County Judge-executive Gary Moore and County Attorney Robert Neace.
The divisions within the Boone County Republican Party have created rifts and made for some contentious and bitter primary races in recent years.
Comer said unification is a goal that he hopes will help him not only win the Republican nomination, but continue after the general election in November.
“We’ve had a lot of people who have never been on the same side in an election since I’ve been around in the last 15 years that have united to support Chris and me,” Comer said. “The next governor is going to inherit a scenario in Frankfort where the House is still controlled by Democrats and the Senate is controlled by Republicans. The governor is going to have to be someone who can unite the general assembly to pass pro-business legislation.”
Neace said Comer’s pro-business message and his choice of running mate are encouraging and will definitely benefit the region.
“I’m really excited that he chose Chris McDaniel to be his running mate because we need a lot more influence in state government,” Neace said. “Hopefully the turnout in Boone County, not only in May, but in November is substantial because we can make a difference.”
Walton said Comer is the right man at the right time, not just for Northern Kentucky, but for the entire Commonwealth.
“I feel like Kentucky is starting to see the type of leadership we need and we haven’t had in the governor’s office in quite some time,” Walton said. “I think (Comer) has distinguished himself as the Commissioner of Agriculture and I believe he has a very solid base throughout Kentucky.”
Attorney General Jack Conway, whose running mate is State Rep. Sannie Overly, D-Paris, is among those who plan to seek the Democratic Party nomination.
The filing deadline is Jan. 27 and the primary election takes place May 19.