PRIMARY 2008 - DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL, REPUBLICAN STATE REPRESENtATIVE RACEs HIGHLIGHT TUESDAY’S ELECTION

The still contested race for the Democratic nominee for President of the United States and the three-way race for the Republican nomination for 51st District State Representative are the highlights for local voters in next Tuesday’s primary election.
With Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton still engaged in a heated battle for the Democratic presidential nomination, Kentucky voters may have a chance to be a factor in who will win the race for the first time in several elections. In the past few elections, the nomination was already cinched before the state primary was held.
While John McCain has sewn up the Republican nomination for President and none of the other former candidates are now campaigning, there will be six names on the Republican ballot next Tuesday – McCain, along with Mitt Romney, Alan Keyes, Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul, and Rudolph Giulaini. According to County   Clerk Sheila Blair, this is due to the fact that the other candidates never officially withdrew after meeting the criteria for getting their names on the ballot.
(Because of the same reason, John Edwards’ name will also appear on the Democratic ballot. And, both Democrats and Republicans can cast an “uncommitted” ballot on Tuesday.)
The only local race on this year’s primary ballot is the Republican race for the GOP’s nomination for the 51st District (Adair and Taylor counties) state representative’s seat being vacated by Russ Mobley.
Russell Montgomery, Asa Swan and John “Bam” Carney are seeking their party’s nomination for the November general election, where the winner will face Democrat Doug Mullins. Mullins has no opposition in the primary.
The only other races that will appear on Tuesday’s ballot are the primaries for U.S. Senator.
On the Republican side, incumbent Sen. Mitch McConnell is being challenged by Daniel Essek for their party’s nomination.
For the Democrats, eight individuals are seeking the nomination – Michael Cassaro, Greg Fischer, Andrew Horne, Bruce Lunsford, James E. Rice, Kenneth Stepp, David L. Williams and David Wylie.
In the last presidential primary four years ago, Adair County’s voter turnout was only a meager 10.4 percent. County Clerk Blair says she is hoping a much larger percentage of the county’s 12,586 voters will go to the polls next Tuesday.
“Hopefully, the interest in the Democratic presidential race, along with the three-way race for the Republican nomination for state representative will get more people to the polls,” Blair said. “Everyone should get out and vote.
Despite those two races, Blair said that, considering past primaries, anything over a 20 percent turnout would be welcomed.
“I don’t know why people here don’t vote in the primaries,” she said. “We normally have good turnout in the November general elections. Four years ago, we had over 58 percent turnout.”