The Races: Hughes v. Reynolds, Senate 32 Special
In the special election to replace State Senator-turned Congressman Brett Guthrie (R), Republican J. Marshall Hughes will face Democrat Mike Reynolds.
Hughes is an attorney and longtime friend of Senate President David Williams and Republican Party activist. He places "being fiscally conservative" at the top of his list. Being so closely aligned with the Senate President, Hughes is not likely to make the very top of the Kentucky Club for Growth's scorecard, but it's very likely he won't disappoint fiscal conservatives either, especially with President Williams' current "we need to spend responsibly first" rhetoric.
Reynolds is also an attorney. He has not yet put forward strong positions on the issues, but seems to have few reservations about spending taxpayer money:
“Look at any headline ... and the unemployment numbers are depressing,” he said.
Reynolds said he is working with his cousin, Christina Reynolds - who was a member of Barack Obama’s campaign team - about how states can create jobs with the proposed federal economic stimulus package.
Instead of suggesting how to create jobs in Kentucky by providing leadership to make the commonwealth a more attractive place to do business, his first instinct is to rely on the federal government to spend future taxpayer dollars. That instinct does not suggest a commitment to fiscal responsibility.
Other issues in this race will center around expanded gambling, which Hughes opposes, and Hughes' indictment by Greg Stumbo for conspiring to hire inappropriately in the Fletcher administration even though he was never part of the administration.
The election is February 10.
