With filing deadline extended, candidates wait to see who remains in races

STAFF REPORT

Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012, 2 p.m. — With an injunction in place to extend the candidate filing deadline until 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7th, the candidates who have filed for state house and senate races wait to see if any additional filers join — or leave — their ranks.

On Friday, 15th District state senate candidate Anne McAfee announced her intention to withdraw from the race and pledged to support fellow Bullitt County attorney J. Scott Wantland. McAfee’s withdrawal leaves two Democrats remaining in the race, Wantland and Bloomfield Democrat Eddie O’Daniel, and three Republicans: David Floyd of Bardstown, Dennis Mitchell of West Point, and Joe E. Laswell of Shepherdsville.

As of Saturday morning, the Kentucky Secretary of State’s office had not processed McAfee’s paperwork withdrawing her from the senate race.

In the race for 50th District representative, only two candidates have filed — Bardstown Democrat Dick Heaton and Cox’s Creek Republican Donna Pegago. Local Democrats have already started going after Pegago via social media for her role as an organizer for the Nelson County Tea Party.

The deadline may be extended again as Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd hears evidence regarding HB-1, the House, Senate and Judicial redistricting plan signed into law by Gov. Steve Beshear. The delay has slowed the General Assembly session to a crawl as lawmakers delay voting on tough issues until the filing deadline is set.

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