By Jack Brammer
NKyTribune reporter
Kentucky Supreme Court Justice incumbent Michelle Keller is outpacing challenger Joe Fischer in campaign funds in their race for a seat on the state’s highest court that has widespread implications.
Judicial races are nonpartisan.
Fischer, a Republican state representative from Ft. Thomas, reported Wednesday that he has raised $42,770 for the Nov. 8 election and has spent $22,962. That leaves him with about $19,900 on hand.
Justice Michelle Keller
But Keller of Fort Mitchell, who has represented Kentucky’s 6th District on the Supreme Court since April 2013, reported Sept. 13 in her 60-day pre-report that she had raised $164,394 and spent $47,251. That left her with $117,143 on hand.
Fischer’s report was more than two weeks late but that was not his fault, said John Steffen, executive director of the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.
Steffen said late Wednesday that Fischer’s campaign tried to file the report with the registry but its system would not give the campaign access to enter the information.
“It was a system error and not his fault,” said Steffen, who added that the Fischer campaign will not incur any penalties for the late filing. Two more filings are scheduled – a 30-day report and a 15-day report before the election.
Keller’s report included these contributions: $2,000 each from former Gov. Steve Beshear and first lady Jane Beshear, the parents of current Gov. Andy Beshear; $200 from former Justice Bill Cunningham of Kuttawa; $500 from Ft. Mitchell Mayor Jude Hehman; $1,000 from Nicholasville banker Luther Deaton; $200 from Jefferson Circuit Court Clerk David Nicholson; $500 from former state Rep. Jesse Crenshaw of Lexington; $1,000 from Lexington attorney Barbara Edelman; and $250 from Lexington attorney Robert Houlihan Jr.
Keller transferred $42,874 from her previous campaigns.
State Rep. Joe Fischer
Fischer’s report included these contributions: $500 from Kent Ostrander with the conservative Family Foundation in Lexington, $500 from state Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer of Georgetown, $250 from Shelby County Deputy Judge-Executive Jon Park; $200 from state Rep. Felicia Rabourn of Turners Station in Henry County; and $150 from state Sen. Wil Schroder of Wilder.
The race between Keller and Fischer is getting statewide attention since Chief Justice John Minton of Bowling Green is retiring at the end of the year and four of the high court’s seven seats are up for election in November.
Fischer is one of the legislature’s resolute conservatives. He sponsored the state’s “trigger law,” which sought to automatically outlaw abortion in the state after the U.S. Supreme Court in June declared there is no federal right to an abortion, and the proposed amendment to the Kentucky Constitution voters will decide in November that would make sure abortion rights are not guaranteed in the state Constitution.
Keller is a former prosecutor and appellate judge. She has twice been commended by the Kentucky House of Representatives for her service to the state.
The 6th District of the Kentucky Supreme Court is made up of 21 counties: Bath, Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Carroll, Fleming, Gallatin, Grant, Harrison, Henry, Kenton, Lewis, Mason, Nicholas, Oldham, Owen, Pendleton, Robertson, Shelby, Spencer, and Trimble.
