Mike Duncan

Kentucky-native Mike Duncan is wrapping up his first term as the chairman of the Republican National Committee after an election in which Republicans took losses in the House and Senate in addition to losing the White House. Around the country, speculation is whirling about potential candidates for the chair position even though Duncan has yet to make an announcement as to whether he intends to seek a second term.

Yesterday, former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele announced his candidacy for the RNC chairmanship, which is to be awarded in a January election. Several others are said to be considering a run along with Duncan.

In his home state, there is not surprisingly a considerable amount of support for Duncan - including the two other voting members of the RNC from Kentucky - though there appear to be some fractures among others.

A Courier-Journal report published earlier this week found U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Hopkinsville) suggesting the RNC needed to look elsewhere for leadership.

"He's a fine fellow and everything, but I think we've got to move in a new direction," Whitfield said of Duncan.
Republican Party of Kentucky chair Steve Robertson, however, said he is solidly in Duncan's corner should the Inez resident decide to seek another term.

"First and foremost, my loyalty is to Mike Duncan," Robertson told PolitickerKY.com. "He's done a great job in a tough environment at the RNC. He's a hands-on chairman which is very similar to the way I operate at the Republican Party of Kentucky."

First Lady Laura Bush campaigns for Brett Guthrie, left, today in Shepherdsville

SHEPHERDSVILLE - First Lady Laura Bush arrived in Kentucky this afternoon for a campaign stop on behalf of 2nd Congressional District candidate Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green) and other local Republicans. Speaking for about ten minutes in front of about 1200 attendees outside of Louisville, Bush lauded Guthrie and U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) during her last-minute campaign push just hours before polls open across the Commonwealth.

"I'm really looking forward to election day partly because it seems like George has been on the ticket," she said near the beginning of her remarks.

Just yesterday, her husband was the subject of much discussion by the woman who preceded her as First Lady - U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.). Then, Clinton was campaigning on behalf of McConnell's opponent, businessman Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville), spending a good deal of time tying McConnell to Bush and his administration's policies during her remarks.

Today, Bush praised McConnell, calling him a "very, very strong voice" for human rights - pointing to policy with regards to Burma specifically - and offered her endorsement for the four-term incumbent.

"Kentucky couldn't have a better advocate in Washington than Mitch McConnell," said Bush. "My advice for tomorrow is to stick with Mitch for 6 more years in the Senate."

MINNEAPOLIS – While many states' delegations are playing host to high-profile national speakers during their morning breakfasts at the Republican National Convention, Kentuckians are having relatively relaxed mornings at their downtown Minneapolis hotel.

Today, a handful of delegates filtered in and out of the delegation breakfast, with some stopping to chat with a dining U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Southgate) and no speakers were scheduled.

At yesterday’s breakfast, an ad hoc line-up of speakers briefly addressed the crowd. Republican National Committee chair Mike Duncan, a Kentucky native staying at the same hotel as his home state’s delegation, dropped in on the Tuesday event and received a round of applause from those in attendance, which included Bunning, Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R-Richwood), state Senate President David Williams (R-Burkesville) and 2nd Congressional District candidate and state Sen. Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green).

Duncan was reportedly scheduled to speak at Tuesday’s breakfast, which was to be the most formal of the three in Minneapolis, but he instead mingled with the crowd after he arrived.

Friday’s breakfast will also be a simple affair, with no scheduled speakers.

MINNEAPOLIS – Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan sounded confident that the U.S. Senate seat in his home state would remain in Republican hands.
The race between four-term incumbent Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) and Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville) is entering the final two months, with McConnell showing a double-digit lead in the latest public polling.

“We feel very good about Sen. McConnell,” Duncan told PolitickerKY.com during a brief interview in Minneapolis. “I think he’s in great shape right now.”

Other races in Duncan’s crosshairs included two contested U.S. House races in the Bluegrass state, in the 2nd and 3rd Congressional Districts.

The 3rd District race offers a rematch of the 2006 race that found long-time U.S. Rep. Anne Northup (R-Louisville) unseated by now-incumbent John Yarmuth (D-Louisville).

Duncan said Northup lost that time in part because of “circumstances beyond her control.”

“We have a good shot at that race,” said Duncan.

The last public polling in the district found Northup down by ten points, though her campaign did outraise Yarmuth’s in the second fundraising quarter.

Democrats – including national party chair Howard Dean – were talking up their chance of picking up a seat in Kentucky at their own party’s national convention last week, particularly pointing to the open 2nd Congressional District contest between state Sens. David Boswell (D-Owensboro) and Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green).

MINNEAPOLIS – Kentucky’s delegates to the Republican National Convention are seated next to the stage at the convention center and are staying, for the duration of the event, at the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown Minneapolis – the same hotel housing the staff and leadership of the Republican National Committee.

The news may come as less of a surprise given that a Kentuckian chairs the RNC. Mike Duncan, a native of the eastern Kentucky town of Inez, has served in that capacity since last year.

A veteran of five conventions, Duncan said Kentucky was uniquely positioned this time around.

“This is the first time we’ve had a front-row seat,” said Duncan. “Sometimes we’ve been farther away from the action.”

Duncan said Kentuckians were well-received on the floor of the convention, noting Senate President David Williams (R-Burkesville) was greeted by colleagues from around the country on the floor. Duncan also said Kentuckians holding federal office were popular here in Minneapolis.

“We have a very well known congressional delegation, and you see that on the floor,” said Duncan.

MINNEAPOLIS – Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan told PolitickerKY.com he expected crossover voters – including supporters of U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) – to benefit his party’s presumptive presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

“We’re going to get a substantial amount of Democratic voters,” said Duncan about McCain’s chances in Kentucky.

Duncan, a resident of the eastern Kentucky town of Inez, added that he thought some “Hillary Clinton voters” would bolster McCain’s support in the Bluegrass state.

Clinton is popular among many Kentucky Democrats. The senator from New York won the state’s May 20 presidential primary by more than 35 points over the Democrats’ eventual nominee, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). After last week’s Democratic National Convention, Clinton’s Kentucky campaign chair said some Clinton delegates still had reservations about supporting Obama.

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Though he is not expected in town for today's abbreviated convention activities, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) was nominated to be the temporary chairman of the Republican National Convention.

McConnell was picked for the position in early August, but stayed in Kentucky today amid changes in the convention schedule due to the impact of Hurricane Gustav in the Gulf Coast region. His planned speech tonight was scrapped - along with all other speeches- and the Senator also was scheduled to attend a morning briefing from the Federal Emergency Management Agency about Gustav in Louisville.

Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan - who calls Inez, KY his hometown - presented McConnell's name for nomination as planned this afternoon along with a slate of temporary officers from Kentucky.

The nomination to the position comes after McConnell's opponent, Bruce Lunsford (D-Louisville), attacked Republicans during last week's Democratic National Convention for giving McConnell the temporary chair slot. Lunsford said it was an attempt to frame McConnell as a leader, which the Democrat was not deserved.

MINNEAPOLIS -- While many state delegations kicked off their conventions with a morning breakfast today, Kentucky's first breakfast will not be until tomorrow, as delegates from around the state continued to arrive at their downtown Minneapolis hotel throughout the morning.

Tomorrow morning's opening breakfast event is scheduled to feature a speech by Republican National Committee chair Mike Duncan, a native of the eastern Kentucky town of Inez.

Though some of Kentucky's delegates and elected officials are not in town for the Convention yet, among those spotted around Minneapolis include Duncan, U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Southgate), state Sen. and 2nd Congressional District candidate Brett Guthrie (R-Bowling Green), and Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R-Richwood).

Sec. of State Trey Grayson

Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R-Richwood) was selected to be a part of the Republican National Committee's platform committee structure.

Grayson, who is in his second term as Secretary of State, will serve as co-chairman of the RNC's "Guaranteeing Energy Independence and a Cleaner Environment" subcommittee - one of six subcommittees within the platform committee.

That committee is charged to "handle policy relating to growing our American energy sources and protecting the environment," according to an RNC release.

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Louisville) was named as an officer for the 2008 Republican National Convention yesterday.

McConnell - the Republican leader in the U.S. Senate - will serve as the temporary chairman of this September's convention in Minneapolis.

“I greatly appreciate the service and participation of the 2008 Republican National Convention officers, who will ensure that the Convention proceedings, particularly the nominations of Senator John McCain and his vice presidential nominee, are conducted under the great traditions and the rules of our Party this September in St. Paul, Minnesota," Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan said in a statement announcing a full slate of convention officers.

Duncan is also a native Kentuckian who currently has a home in the eastern Kentucky town of Inez.

The temporary chairman at a political convention typically opens proceedings prior to the selection of a permanent chairman.