STONEWALL'S DEAD

:Democratic stronghold loosening in W. Ky. (Ryan Alessi, 8/03/03, Lexington HERALD-LEADER)

For more than a century, the first weekend of August in Western Kentucky has signified the politics of the Fancy Farm picnic. This year, many predict that today's picnic will be only the beginning of the political attention Western Kentucky will receive during this year's governor's race.

That's because the region -- long a hotbed of registered Democrats -- is viewed as a wild card in the race. [...]

Over the last decade, Western Kentucky Democrats have re-elected Republican Ed Whitfield as their congressman, supported Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell and voted for George W. Bush in 2000.

In state and local races, however, voters have largely stuck with Democrats.

But Republicans say they're hopeful this is the year the conservative trend reaches the governor's mansion. Republican registration in western counties has increased steadily each year.

In the past three months, for example, Marshall County gained 116 Republicans and lost 61 Democrats.

Murray businessman Robbie Rudolph, who ran for lieutenant governor this spring with Republican Rebecca Jackson, said many conservatives are changing parties because they've been energized by the growing prominence of the Republican Party in Kentucky.

Why does the term "Democratic stronghold" remind of of the term "Maginot Line"? Posted by Orrin Judd at August 3, 2003 6:29 PM