The Fancy Farm political picnic didn’t change. The KY Democratic Party did. | Opinion

The Courier Journal recently asked whether Fancy Farm is still relevant. The real question is which party has the courage to show up. One does. One doesn’t.

The Kentucky Democratic Party (KDP) doesn’t.

In an article, Courier Journal staff wrote that “some Democrats argue [Fancy Farm’s] relevancy has ebbed and flowed over the years.” That excuse rings hollow from a party holding sparsely attended “rural listening tours” while skipping Kentucky’s most iconic rural political event.

If Democrats were serious about rebuilding ties, Fancy Farm would be a priority. Bridges aren’t rebuilt from a bunker.

The KDP’s executive director said, “Digital media has taken over a lot of work.”

Digital outreach matters. Republicans understand that. But Democrats aren’t avoiding Fancy Farm because it’s outdated, but because they’re irrelevant among rural voters.

The numbers prove it. Republicans hold supermajorities in both chambers of the state legislature, five out of six constitutional offices, and every congressional seat except one (Louisville). This is what democracy looks like.

According to the Kentucky State Board of Elections, as of June, Republicans make up 50.25 % of voters, Democrats 44.11%, and third-party or independent voters 5.63%. Republicans don’t just outnumber Democrats. They now hold a clear majority of registered voters.

In January 2017, after Republicans took majority control of the state House for the first time in nearly a century (under Democratic-drawn maps), Democrats still held a registration advantage of 52.4% to 41.9%. Three years ago, Republican registration edged out Democratic registration: 1,612,060 to 1,609,569.

Since then, the shift has accelerated. Democrats lost nearly 260,000 voters, while Republicans gained about 75,000. The share of voters registered as “Other,” including independents and third parties, only went from 5.6% in January 2017 to 5.63% in June 2025.

There’s no independent wave. The only wave is voters waving goodbye to KDP. In Kentucky, it’s not the two-party system that has left voters behind—it’s KDP.

When pressed on their absence from Fancy Farm, the executive director admitted, “It’s a one-horse show.”

Correct, but for the wrong reason. It’s because they quit. The stage didn’t change. Their willingness to participate did.

Even Andy Beshear, despite his roots, wouldn’t take the stage. The silence is louder than any speech. KDP’s eggs are all in Beshear’s basket of presidential aspirations. A one-bunny show.

The party’s rural detachment was evident when Sen. Robin Webb, the last rural Senate Democrat, switched to the Republican Party, stating that the Democratic Party no longer reflected rural values.

The party’s absence from Fancy Farm is just the latest symptom of retreat. Blaming the event itself for their irrelevance is like blaming a mirror for a reflection.

If KDP leaders want to understand what changed, they should forgo embarrassing excuses, study election results, and take a look in the mirror. Relevance isn’t lost. It’s forfeited. No show, no say.

If KDP can’t take the heat at Fancy Farm, they don’t deserve the spotlight. Not that they have.

Dustin Isaacs is from Sand Gap and has over a decade of experience in political consulting, campaigns, and elections. He is currently Deputy Communications Director for the GOP Senate President’s Office. These views are his own and do not reflect those of his employer.

This story was originally published July 29, 2025 at 6:22 AM.