GOP Pratt knocks Democrat Tackett out of the state House

Republican Phil Pratt made sure Tuesday that Democrat Chuck Tackett’s stay in the state House is a short one.

After losing to Tackett in March in a special election by 253 votes, Pratt defeated Tackett in Tuesday’s general election for a full two-year term in the 62nd House District that covers Owen County, much of Scott County and part of Fayette County.

Tackett’s special election victory was to fill the term of Republican Ryan Quarles, who vacated the seat in January to become state agriculture commissioner.

An out-of-state group called the Republican State Leadership Committee tried to align Tackett with Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, who is unpopular in Kentucky.

Tackett, a farmer and former county magistrate for eight years, said the GOP effort was “ridiculous.”

Tackett said he has never met Hillary Clinton, “and I know she is not bankrolling my campaign.”

The presidential race was “a factor in our race,” said Pratt.

Pratt, who founded Pratt’s Lawn and Landscape, said Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump was not his first or second choice, but he would not vote for Hillary Clinton.

Tackett declined to say who will get his vote in the presidential race. “Voting is a secret ballot,” he said.

The district leans Democratic in voter registration, with 18,263 Democrats and 14,405 Republicans, though it routinely votes for Republicans in federal elections.

Major issues in the district included the state’s financially troubled retirement systems, improving education and improving infrastructure, said Pratt. Tackett listed them as education, pension funding and the drug epidemic.

This story was originally published November 8, 2016 at 8:49 PM with the headline "GOP Pratt knocks Democrat Tackett out of the state House."