KY-3

Ballot access for 3rd Congressional District Libertarian candidate Edward Martin has been challenged by Brad Cummings, the chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party.

Martin submitted the requisite number of petition signatures to place his name on the ballot, but he is also a registered Republican – a status that may threaten his candidacy as a libertarian.

The challenge will go before a judge, who will consider its legal viability. The Libertarian Party, however, aims to contest the challenge.

"We've got a Supreme Court case, I've just got to find a lawyer," said Libertarian Party chair Ken Moellman.

DENVER -- U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Louisville) will be hitting national television airwaves tomorrow as he is scheduled to make an appearance on the MSNBC program "Hardball."

The popular political program, hosted by Chris Matthews, will be taped in Denver, the host town of the Democratic National Convention.

It is scheduled to air tomorrow at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET.

The Washington offices of two members of Kentucky's Congressional delegation are undergoing some shuffling this week.

The Louisville Courier-Journal reports U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning's (R-Southgate) chief of staff Blake Brickman is leaving D.C. to pursue a legal education.

Brickman will reportedly be replaced by Bunning's current legislative director, Kim Dean, while staffer William Henderson will move up to fill Dean's position.

James Carroll of the Courier-Journal also reports U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Louisville) has hired Lennie Shewmaker, of Danville, as a health issues legislative assistant.

An effort to distribute 1 million stickers opposing presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is being led by Louisville-based Republican strategist Ted Jackson, who also serves as spokesperson and campaign chair for former U.S. Rep. Anne Northup's (R-Louisville) bid for the 3rd Congressional District.

The Louisville Courier-Journal reports Jackson and his company, the Spalding Group, announced earlier this month that they would distribute up to one million stickers reading "NOBAMA" to those who request them, free of charge.

Jackson is a longtime official distributor of merchandise for Republican presidential candidates. This year, his company was not selected to work with presumptive Republican presidential nominee and U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), though they are still selling merchandise in support of the candidate in addition to 29 anti-Obama items.

The sticker effort contrasts one by the liberal public policy advocacy group, MoveOn.org, which itself is aiming to distribute 1 million bumper stickers in support of Obama.

Kentucky's U.S. Senate race and a U.S. House races both are among the most-competitive elections in the nation this fall, a new Politicker.com report shows.

The Pindell Report, unveiled today, shows U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) appears to be on his way to remaining in the U.S. Senate where he has been since 1984. That said, the race is viewed to be the 10th most-competitive Senate race in the country this fall.

"Two polls showing the race to be tighter than expected got our attention, but unless Bruce Lunsford capitalizes soon we will lose interest quickly," said Politicker.com Managing Editor James Pindell, referring to the Louisville Democrat trying to unseat McConnell, the U.S. Senate minority leader. "There just doesn't seem to be enough out there to indicate that McConnell is going to be out of a job in November."

The campaign of former U.S. Rep. Anne Northup (R-Louisville) fired back today at comments their opponent, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Louisville), made to PolitickerKY.com earlier this week.

“I understand how frustrating and difficult it is for John to comprehend that he is ever wrong about anything,” said Ted Jackson, Northup’s spokesperson. “At this time, he is flat wrong.”

Jackson was responding to remarks by Yarmuth, in which the freshman Democrat doubted Republicans would benefit from the gas price issue.

"I understand why the Republicans think they have that issue, but the vast majority of the American people blame George Bush and the oil companies for high gas prices," Yarmuth told PolitickerKY.com on Wednesday. "So, I think that is an issue that ultimately will not help them."

LOUISVILLE -- While gas prices continue to dominate campaign narratives nationwide, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Louisville) doubts Republican proposals will sway voters.

"I understand why the Republicans think they have that issue, but the vast majority of the American people blame George Bush and the oil companies for high gas prices," Yarmuth told PolitickerKY.com at a voter registration drive on Wednesday. "So, I think that is an issue that ultimately will not help them."

Yarmuth also indicated he did not think most voters would make their decision on Nov. 4 based on the gas price issue.

"Certainly that is a very significant immediate issue for a lot of people, and I understand that, but it is part of a much broader issue of economic security. That involves food prices, increased tuition, if you have a kid in school and the increased cost of health care," said Yarmuth. "On the broader agenda -- who the American people trust to manage the economy over the next four years -- a huge majority favor Democrats."

U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Louisville) will canvass neighborhoods in the west end of Louisville on Wednesday as part of a voter registration drive. The event is scheduled to coincide with the 43rd Anniversary of the signing of the Voting Rights Act into law.

Yarmuth's campaign announced that the event will be the first of their "Making a Difference" series, saying other volunteer initiatives would be held during the campaign season.

The voter registration drive will target neighborhoods with "low voter registration" according to a release. 

The event starts at 2:15pm on Wednesday from the Lyles Mall parking lot on West Broadway.

Polwatchers reports the previously-unknown Libertarian candidate in Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District is Louisville businessman Edward Martin.

As reported last week, Martin already has the requisite signatures for ballot access in the state, though he had chosen to remain unannounced until yesterday.

Martin will now face former U.S. Rep Anne Northup (R-Louisville) and current incumbent Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Louisville) in the November general election.

U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth's (D-Louisville) race for the 3rd Congressional District is still the only U.S. House campaign in Kentucky on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's list for targeted television ad buys, even after the list was expanded by 20 in recent days.

Yarmuth's re-election effort against former U.S. Rep Anne Northup (R-Louisville) was included in the DCCC's initial target list of 31 races, for which the organization aims to buy ad time in September and October. The DCCC reportedly allocated $659,000 for ad buys in the 3rd District.

The liberal news outlet Talking Points Memo reported yesterday that the DCCC had expanded their list to include 20 more races, but none of the additions are in Kentucky.

According to reports, the DCCC has now allocated a total of $53 million towards ad buys for the 51 targeted races.