Floyd tops Pegago, Romney cruises to win Kentucky primary
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette
State Rep. David Floyd, left, and his challenger, Donna Pegago, talk at the end of their recent debate. Floyd won the Nelson County GOP primary on Tuesday.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 9 p.m. — With only one local race on the primary election ballot in Nelson County, Tuesday’s primary election had the second-lowest voter turnout in 30 years: 7.7 percent.
Only 2,336 out of 30,175 Nelson County voters took time to vote Tuesday with slightly more Democrats casting votes than Republicans.
County Republicans voted overwhelmingly for incumbent state Rep. David Floyd in his primary race against challenger Donna Pegago. Floyd won with 77 percent of the votes cast, 767 to 235.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Robert Augustine, chair of the Republican Party of Nelson County, congratulated both candidates for running “strong, competitive, and clean campaigns.”
In the presidential Republican primary, Mitt Romney was top vote-getter with 61 percent of the vote, followed by Ron Paul (20.2 percent), Rick Santorum (9.8 percent), Newt Gingrich (5.99 percent), with about 3 percent voting “uncommitted.”
In the Democratic primary, though he had no real opponent, President Barack Obama narrowly won a majority of Nelson County Democratic votes. Nearly half of the Democrats who went to the polls Tuesday voted for “uncommitted.” The President won by a margin of 52 votes (678 to 626 votes).
SECOND LOWEST TURNOUT. According to the Secretary of State’s website, Nelson County’s voter turnout was the second lowest in 30 years. The county’s lowest turnout on record since 1982 was the 2000 May primary, which saw a 6.1 percent voter turnout.
STATE PRIMARY RETURNS. With 97 percent of votes counted, presumed Republican nominee Mitt Romney won with 66.8 percent of Republican votes cast. Ron Paul received 12.6 percent, Santorum 8.9 percent and Gingrich 5.9 percent.
Like their Nelson County counterparts, Democrats statewide apparently used the primary ballot to express their dissatisfaction with President Barack Obama. While Obama received 59 percent of the vote, the remainder voted for “uncommitted.” In the neighboring counties of Washington, LaRue, Bullitt, Spencer and Anderson, “uncommitted” actually received more votes than the president.
In the closely-watched 4th Congressional District primary race, Lewis County Judge Executive Thomas Massie won the seven-way Republican primary with 44.6 percent of the vote. His closest challenger was Alecia Webb-Edgington, with 28.6 percent of the vote.
In the Democratic primary for 42nd District state house seat, incumbent Reginald Meeks topped tea party favorite Wendy Caswell, with 79 percent of the vote. Caswell is founder of the Louisville Tea Party organization.
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