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Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009

Horse industry ad praises Democrat

FRANKFORT — An issues group connected to Kentucky's horse industry began running advertisements Wednesday touting Jodie Haydon, a Democratic candidate, in an upcoming special election to fill an open state Senate seat.

Keep Our Jobs in Kentucky Inc., which praises candidates who favor expanded gambling at racetracks, will run TV and radio ads in Lexington and Louisville for at least five days, said Patrick Neely, who is on leave as executive director of Kentucky Equine Education Project to work with Keep Our Jobs.

Haydon, a former state representative from Bards town, faces Republican state Rep. Jimmy Higdon of Lebanon in a Dec. 8 special election to fill the 14th Senate District seat recently vacated by Springfield Republican Dan Kelly. The district includes Marion, Mercer, Nelson, Taylor and Washington counties.

"We were anticipating they would get in the race for my opponent," Higdon said. "I voted against their bill to allow slot machines at the race tracks."

Higdon said he had tried, but failed, to keep the issues group from becoming involved in the race. "I let them know that I wanted to let the people vote on a constitutional amendment to allow expanded gambling, but they wouldn't hear it," he said.

The horse industry's ad praises Haydon as a former legislator, Vietnam veteran and businessman, but it does not specifically ask voters to support him.

Keep Our Jobs is a so-called 527 group, a reference to the section of the Internal Revenue Service Code that governs it. The group must work independently of any candidates and can accept unlimited contributions that won't have to be disclosed until next year.

Neely declined to say how much was spent on the ads. "More ads are certainly under consideration," he said.

The group also kept mum about its expenses when it helped Democrat Robin Webb of Grayson win a special Senate election in August that eroded GOP control of the Senate, which now has 20 Republicans, 17 Democrats and one independent.

She had voted in June for the expanded gambling bill and in the Senate replaced Republican Charlie Borders of Grayson, who left to accept a Beshear appointment to the state Public Service Commission.

In addition to the horse industry ad, Haydon released his first TV ad Wednesday.

The 30-second spot introduces Haydon as providing "a life of service" to his family, church and country.

Meanwhile, Higdon said he has launched radio ads and has sent out mailers.

"We will see about TV," he said.