Sunday, January 03, 1999
Some politicians to watch for
20 Northern Ky. names worth knowing
BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Everybody does lists. Let's do a list.
Here are the 20 people we think are worth watching in Northern Kentucky politics in 1999.
These aren't necessarily the established power brokers, like the Mark Guilfoyles and Lawson Walkers of the world. And just getting elected to office does not merit automatic inclusion, though a few office holders are on the list.
It's hardly scientific or all-inclusive. But here goes.
• Gary Moore. The Boone County judge-executive has never held public office, but now he's running one of the fastest growing counties in Kentucky. On-the-job training will come fast.
• Steve Pendery. Easy-going, eager and smart, the new Campbell County judge-executive is the only Republican on the county fiscal court. Can we all get along?
• Dave Otto. One of those Campbell County Fiscal Court Democrats, and a former Republican, he'll emerge this year as one of the county's leading Democrats with former judge-executive Ken Paul out of the picture. And he'll show Mr. Pendery and the rest of the Republicans who's still in charge if need be.
• Jon Draud. There will be those who will tell the recently elected state representative to sit back and observe during his first term in Frankfort. They don't know this Crestview Hills Republican. Look for an immediate splash from him in the Capitol.
• Dave Kramer. One of the best political minds in Northern Kentucky. The Democrat from Crestview Hills is no longer on the state lottery board, so he'll definitely resurface somewhere else this year.
• Tom Ratterman. The Young Democrats' president and a member of the Student Government Council at Northern Kentucky University, he has the kind of enthusiasm the Democratic Party needs in Northern Kentucky.
• Hayes Robertson. He's handling the press for the Kenton County Jail, starting a GOP Political Action Committee and working behind the scenes on the next election cycle. He's busy, he's everywhere.
• Scott Kimmich. Talk about the hot seat. The Democrats were blind-sided when he took the job as right-hand man to Republican Kenton County Judge-executive Dick Murgatroyd. The Republicans were mad the job went to the chairman of the Boone County Democratic Party. But don't feel sorry for Mr. Kimmich because he's in a political controversy. He lives for it.
• Jay Hall. In the next several weeks, when the new party registration figures come out, this Boone County Republican Party chairman will be overseeing the GOP in the largest Republican county in the state. And he helped make it that way.
• Dave MacKnight. The Fort Mitchell native is one of Kentucky Attorney General Ben Chandler's top deputies. Mr. Chandler is on the move politically, looking someday at a run for governor or Congress. And if he's on the move, so is Mr. MacKnight.
• Adam Koenig. When this Villa Hills Republican entered the Kenton County Commission GOP primary in late 1997 he was given no chance. Today he's being sworn into office. He's ready to work as hard at being a commissioner as he did being a candidate.
• Barb Black. Aligned with the hard conservative wing of the Republican Party, she beat an incumbent Republican and scared off the Democrats in winning a Kenton County Commission seat. A move to Frankfort someday is in her long-term plans.
• Greg Shumate. The head of the Kenton County Republican Party saw his candidates go through the November election as Patton — George, not Paul — went through Europe. He's smart enough to call the shots but still listens to advice from other party leaders, making him a rare commodity in the ego-driven world of politics.
• Dave Hatter. The top vote-getter on Fort Wright City Council in the November election, he made an early impact helping residents in disputes over changing the name of Kyles Lane. And with his computer skills he's helped lots of Republicans get elected to office. The pols will be falling over themselves in the next election to work with somebody possessing his combination of political and cyber skills.
• Kristi Nelson. The leading Boone County Democrat is tired of seeing Republicans dominate politics in the county. She's getting more involved in party building. It could pay off. And it sure can't hurt.
• Jim Eggemeier. He's not going to be a Covington city commissioner forever. What's next? Mayor? County office? The statehouse?
• J.T. Spence. For as long as anybody can remember he's been telling anybody who would listen his ideas for the Covington City Commission. Now that he's been elected, let's see what he does.
• Joe Fischer. Don't let his quiet demeanor fool you. He shook up the General Assembly as a lawyer, suing the state over legislative districts and pay increases for county officials. Now that he's been elected to the statehouse, the Fort Thomas Republican could really make things happen.
• Jim Callahan. When Northern Kentucky business and community leaders need help in Frankfort, many go to this Wilder Democrat even before they talk to their own representative or senator. As a member of House leadership and a close ally of Gov. Paul Patton, he makes things happen in the Capitol.
• Sam Smith. She'll try to bring together a Campbell County Republican Party that is more splintered than one of Mark McGwire's broken bats. And since she doesn't worry about taking credit for everything since the Magna Carta, she could bring some of the factions together. But others in the party will have to go along, and that could be a chore.
Patrick Crowley covers Kentucky politics for The Kentucky Enquirer. His column appears Thursdays and Sundays. He can be reached at 578-5581, or 502-875-7526 in Frankfort, or by e-mail at crowleys@cinci.infi.net
Patrick Crowley covers Kentucky politics for the Enquirer. He can be reached at 578-5581, or (502) 875-7526 in Frankfort.
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