Bill would repeal runoff vote - Sponsors say extra election a waste

A runoff has never been held in a Kentucky gubernatorial election. One never would be under a bill filed by a Northern Kentucky lawmaker.

Sen. Damon Thayer, a Georgetown Republican who represents southern Kenton County, has filed a bill for the 2008 legislative session that, if enacted, would repeal a runoff in gubernatorial primaries.

"The runoff election is bad law and the last remaining provision of taxpayer funding of gubernatorial campaigns to be removed from the law books," Thayer said in a statement released by the office of Secretary of State Trey Grayson, a Boone County Republican who supports the bill.

"This legislation is something that most, if not all legislators, agreed was bad public policy during the 2007 session," Grayson said in the statement.

Under Kentucky law, if no candidate for governor reaches 40 percent of the vote, the top two finishers face off in a runoff election a month after the primary.

The first runoff was nearly held in last month's Democratic primary, but Steve Beshear finished with just over 40 percent of the vote.
"Taxpayers were nearly forced to pay for an unnecessary election," said Thayer, chairman of the Senate State and Local Government Committee. "It is my intention to post this legislation for action in January at the first meeting of the State and Local Government Committee."

Grayson has estimated the runoff election would have cost from $5 million to $7 million.

Several county officials testified during the 2007 session that counties would need to consider cutting back services in order to find the resources to fund the runoff election, he said.

Thayer's bill has bipartisan support. Senate Democratic Leader Ed Worley is a co-sponsor.

"Eliminating an unnecessary election saves Kentucky's taxpayers and county governments millions of dollars," said Worley. "This legislation has bipartisan support, and I expect it will pass during the 2008 legislative session."

Reps. Darryl Owens of Louisville and Mike Cherry of Princeton, both Democrats, have filed a companion bill in the House.