‘Titanic figure in the KY Republican Party,’ former chair & gubernatorial candidate Bob Gable dies
Bob Gable, of Frankfort, a longtime leader in the Republican Party in Kentucky who ran for governor twice and was credited with helping grow the party into the majority it has in the state today, died Friday at Baptist Health Lexington, according to an obituary. He was 90.
“His efforts built the foundation for today’s Republican majority,” House Speaker David Osborne said in a statement. “An engineer by training, Bob brought a strategic, detail-driven approach to everything he did.
“While a successful businessman, he shared his time and talents selflessly and approached both public services and politics with an indomitable spirit.”
Gable served as chairman of the state Republican Party from 1986 to 1994 and ran for governor in 1975 and 1995.
In 1975, he ran against Democratic incumbent Gov. Julian Carroll, who had been lieutenant governor and moved into the governor’s office in December 1974, when then-Gov. Wendell Ford resigned to serve in the U.S Senate.
Gable’s loss to Carroll was by a wide margin that set a record at the time, according to “A New History of Kentucky.”
In his 1995 bid for governor, he failed to secure the GOP nomination in the race against Larry Forgy, who in turn lost to Paul Patton.
Gable was state parks commissioner from 1967 to 1970 under Gov. Louie Nunn.
In 1972, he unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for U.S. senator, losing to Nunn in a race that ultimately went to Democrat Walter Dee Huddleston.
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell issued a statement calling Gable “a dear friend” and “a titanic figure in the Kentucky Republican Party.”
“I trace my earliest memories in Kentucky politics right back to Bob, as do many others in my home state,” he wrote. “…When he was named Chair of the Republican Party of Kentucky in 1986, our party held only one statewide seat and reportedly only had a net worth of $300. Needless to say, much in our party and the Commonwealth has changed since then — largely thanks to Bob’s unflappable focus and the groundwork he laid during his decades of service. Elaine and I share our condolences with the entire Gable family along with our gratitude for Bob’s lifelong work to bring conservative principles to Kentucky.”
Former Republican National Committee chairman and former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said Gable “played a key role in advancing conservative principles and supporting the Reagan Revolution.”
“From my early days in politics as a staffer through my days at the Reagan White House and my 4 years at RNC, I always knew I could count on Bob’s wisdom, integrity, and love for this country,” Barbour said in a statement. “He was one of those people who made you better just by working alongside of him. We have lost a great patriot, a true leader and I’ve lost a good friend.”
Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers offered condolences to Gable’s family, referring to him as a “great man” and “great Kentuckian.”
“Bob Gable was the original Republican Party chairman and a leader when there were few Kentucky Republicans,” Stivers said in a statement. “In fact, Bob gave me my first contribution when I decided to get into politics.”
Gable’s obituary said he “was a pro-choice advocate, an unusual position in Kentucky’s Republican circles.”
Gable was born in New York City and grew up in Oregon and Arizona. He was a 1956 graduate of Stanford University and a Navy veteran.
He and his wife of 58 years, Emily Brinton Thompson Gable, settled in Kentucky, in the Stearns community, where Gable ran the Stearns Coal and Lumber Co., which was formed by his grandfather in 1902, according to his obituary.
“Under his leadership, The Stearns Company diversified into real estate development, including projects like the Hyatt Regency in Lexington,” the obituary stated. “However, the economic challenges of the 1980s led to the company’s eventual restructuring.”
Gable was also an advocate for education and the arts, having served as president of the National Committee for the Performing Arts, a member of the President’s Committee for the Performing Arts at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and as chairman of the Kentucky Arts Council, among other positions, according to his obituary.
Gable is survived by three children and two grandchildren.
Herald-Leader staff writer Bill Estep contributed to this report.
