FANCY FARM, Ky. – The three-day political cavalcade that ends at the Fancy Farm Picnic was less about this year than next year.
Yes, the picnic’s political speaking featured the first faceoff of candidates to succeed retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell, and they had vigorous exchanges – with each other and the largely Republican crowd stoked by First District U.S. Rep. James Comer.
But with the Senate race uncompetitive, the signal events of the weekend were (1) a GOP lineup behind Comer for governor next year and (2) the first four joint appearances of the Democratic candidates: Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman and Rocky Adkins, former senior adviser to Gov. Andy Beshear. They faced off at the Paducah labor lunch and Democratic events in Calvert City and Mayfield, then at the picnic, where they had give-and-take with Comer.
Comer was the toast of several Republican events, as his fellow partisans endorsed his likely candidacy; an airplane flew a banner over the picnic reading “Run Comer Run.” The final speaker, Secretary of State Michael Adams, made real news by announcing that he wouldn’t run for governor and is for Comer. Following state Senate President Robert Stivers’ announcement last week that he wouldn’t run, Comer is ready to waltz to the nomination after his expected re-election to Congress over Democrat John “Drew” Williams – who gave the most substantive speech at the picnic but is the definition of an underdog.
With Comer on track, the big question I got from Republicans was how his potential opponents were matching up, and it was intriguing. Adkins, 66, and Coleman, 44, are of different generations, styles and backgrounds, but both are running on the popularity of what Coleman (but no one else) calls “the Beshear-Coleman administration.”
For now, they’re mainly shadow-boxing, but signaling themes and memes. Both cite record economic development under Beshear, but Adkins told the Democratic dinner he was “in the room” for negotiations with job creators and noted his 41 years’ experience in state government. Coleman’s standard speech goes back that long to share credit with Martha Layne Collins, “the only woman who’s ever served as governor of Kentucky – so far. And I think it’s time we changed that.”
At the picnic, where personal jabs are expected, Coleman had the punchiest lines, and even joined Republicans in throwing shade on Beshear and his absence (to see his son play his final baseball games before college): “I really tried to get him here. I even told him Fancy Farm was in New Hampshire.” Did she clear that line with her boss? She wouldn’t say.
Coleman got in a shot at Comer, alluding to his 2015 primary loss to ex-Gov. Matt Bevin, saying he “went from losing to criminals to protecting them in D.C.” She also dealt with a blemish on her record that Comer noted, helping her hairdresser get unemployment benefits in the pandemic: “I do want to apologize for helping her during COVID, because it’s actually [state Auditor] Allison Ball’s hairdresser that needed all the help she could get.” Meeeow!
Adkins had no laugh lines but charged that Comer announced grants under the 2022 infrastructure law, which Comer voted against. Comer supporters chanted “liar, liar” but Adkins was correct. Afterward, Comer dismissed the charge, noting that he voted for the program’s most recent appropriation, which funded the grants.
Adkins’ charge came after his riff about Republicans “hurting people,” with points punctuated by “I think that’s wrong; how about you?” After Democratic cheers, he introduced the next point: “If that wasn’t enough…” He said nothing about Coleman, and she said nothing about him.
At more than one event, Coleman and Adkins decried Washington “chaos” but didn’t mention President Trump, who carried the state three times by about 30 percentage points.
Trump’s most recent job rating in the state is about even, and no Republicans except Comer – who wants Trump’s endorsement for governor – mentioned the president. He cited Trump’s most popular policy, “secure the border and deport the criminal illegals.”
Democratic Senate nominee Charles Booker was the only Democrat who mentioned Trump, calling Republican nominee Andy Barr “a bootleg version of Donald Trump” in a well-crafted, energetic speech that struggled with the almost-constant Republican noisemaking. Booker’s no socialist, as Barr and others claimed, but he had a good opening line for the hecklers: “Even if you boo, I’m gonna make sure you have high-quality health care.”
On a broader front, though, Booker looked feckless. His campaign had relatively little presence at the picnic, beyond supporters’ signs, and his attempt at a call-and-response chant (“give Barr the boot”) with his supporters, which he promoted at a Democratic event hours earlier, went nowhere.
So, while Booker may keep inspiring his supporters, the only real statewide race now is for governor. Primary election day is May 18.