Kentucky Republicans say this could be the year. The GOP once again has its sights set on taking control of the state House for the first time in nearly a century.
One of the races in play is the 20th District which includes a portion of Warren County. The two candidates are offering voters the choice between seniority and change.
At a recent event celebrating the expansion of the Gatton Academy at Western Kentucky University, State Representative Jody Richards shook hands with many of those in attendance.
"How are you? Doing alright today? Good to see you."
In fact, go to any public event in Warren County and Richards is sure to be there. Richards is a 40-year incumbent and a fixture in Democratic politics. His challenger is Republican Melinda Hill.
Hill has knocked on several thousand doors this election season. She's had plenty of experience with pounding the pavement as a Bowling Green city commissioner and Mayor Pro-Tem. She says this type of grassroots politicking never gets old.
“Now that I’m running for state representative, people have a different line of questions-state level instead of local level," Hill told WKU Public Radio. "I like to tell them and focus on everything that’s been accomplished in the city of Bowling Green while I was on the city commission and explain to them that I want to take those practices to Frankfort.”
In one neighborhood in the middle of a weekday, Hill’s door-knocking stirs up a few dogs but not their owners. She leaves some campaign literature and moves on to the next house. A knock at the door yields the homeowner.
“How are you? I’m Melinda Hill and I’m running for state representative and wanted to ask for your vote November 8th," Hill states with a smile.
The biggest issue driving Hill to Frankfort is the state’s public pension system.
“It concerns me that past leadership has allowed our state to get in this financial hole, she says. "We’ve been ranked one of the worst in the country. Our bond rating is one of the worst in the country and people ask what that has to do with anything. If the state wants to borrow any money, we're going to be paying a higher interest rate because our bond rating is so low. One of the reasons it is so low is because of our pension crisis."
With the state pension system nearly $40 billion in the hole, Hill says the legislature must fix the deficit but also reorganize the system for new hires. As a former tax accountant for Fruit of the Loom, she wants to be part of that discussion.
She also wants to bring more transparency to the retirement funds, particularly to the one belonging to state lawmakers. She blames Richards for not bringing transparency legislation up for a vote in his position as Speaker Pro-Tem.
"Our taxpayer dollars are what they are spending and we should know what they have in their fully-funded pension accounts," comments Hill. "He can say he was for it because he voted for it in committee, but as a leader, he did not bring it to the House floor for a vote. The Senate passed it but the House never would.”
Richards responds that as Speaker Pro-Tem, he doesn’t decide what legislation will be brought to the floor. Richards says he would support a pre-filed bill for next session that would fund lawmakers’ retirement through the state employees pension system.
Richards has spent four decades in the House and many of those in leadership. He’s the longest-serving House Speaker in Kentucky history. According to the veteran lawmaker, there’s something to say experience and longevity.
"Knowing how to get things done is probably the most important thing," Richards states. "It would take any new person a long time to understand how to get things done for the benefit of our community and for the benefit of the state.”
Hill says her race against Richards is nothing personal. In fact, she was a page for him when he took office in 1976, but she’s a firm believer in term limits.
“Forty years is entirely too long regardless of your political affiliation. I use the example of when you first start a new job. That excitement, the way you want to please everyone. You want to make sure that every I is dotted and every T is crossed. The more you become comfortable with that job, you’re going to slack off. Forty years and you’re going to be slacking. You don’t read things like you used to. You don’t fight for things like you once did.”
Representative Richards opposes term limits.
“I see states that have term limits and it’s a disaster," Richards remarks. "If you think about it, who’s going to run the government if you don’t have elected officials? It’s going to be the bureaucrats and lobbyists. I am absolutely opposed to term limits on the state level.”
Despite Richards' name recognition and popularity, Hill hopes his constituents are ready for a change, but even as a 40-year incumbent, Richards says he doesn’t take any re-election race for granted.
“I’ve gone door to door for 14 weeks. I’m working hard," says Richards. "I think I have a great record and I’m glad to run on it.”
Richards says there are a few things he still wants to do in Frankfort that he hasn’t been able to accomplish yet.
"I've worked very hard on the veterans nursing home and I want to see that done and I want to see Scottsville Road six-laned," explains Richards.
He also wants to bring broadband internet service statewide and improve the workforce training.
Hill also pledges to seek funding for a veterans nursing home, which was included in the House budget this year, but did not make it into the Senate’s spending plan. Hill would also support legislation to repeal the prevailing wage and make Kentucky a right-to-work state.
Despite fundraising help from Governor Matt Bevin, Melinda Hill trails Richards in donations. According to the latest report filed with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, Richards has raised more than $74,000 while Hill has attracted more than $52,000. Outside groups have largely stayed out of the 20th District House race.
As Representative Richards seeks his 21st term, the numbers are on his side. Democrats outnumber Republicans in Warren County by more than 7,800 registered voters, but Hill has never been afraid of a challenge. Her first job in the public eye was with the Intermodal Transportation Authority, the group responsible for bringing the Kentucky Trimodal Transpark to Warren County, an experience, she says, that made her thick-skinned.
“Things were coming at you from all directions. I remember one time we had a public meeting and we had to walk through a picket line and they were carrying caskets and had bongo drums. It was really intense, so I’ve lived through all that," Hill explains. "It was very controversial in those days and people either loved me or hated me, but thank goodness we have it now.”
Democrats have a 53-47 majority in the House, which means Republicans need to pick up four seats to win the majority. If successful, the GOP would control the House, Senate, and governorship, not to mention, Frankfort’s agenda.
