Story by Matthew Parks, Staff writer
On election night, Democrats across Kentucky lost in every major election.
Jim Gray, D-Lexington, Kentucky, lost the election for Kentucky U.S. Senator to incumbent Rand Paul, R-Bowling Green, who withdrew from his presidential campaign earlier this year. The race between the two was the closest of any election in the state, since Paul won with 57 percent of the total votes.
In the race for the U.S. House of Representatives First District seat, James Comer, R-Tompkinsville, won in a landslide victory against Samuel Gaskins, D-Hopkinsville, garnering 72 percent of the statewide vote.
Closer to home, the race for the Fifth District seat in the Kentucky House of Representatives ended in yet another Democrat loss.
Murray State alumnus David Ramey, D-Murray, lost to incumbent Kenny Imes, R-Murray, who has served six terms as the state representative in the Fifth District. Imes won a total of 69 percent of the state vote.
“We have got to find a way to get working class voters understanding that the greatest political asset they have is still the Democratic Party,” Ramey said. “We have not done a good job of that.”
Ramey said the Democratic Party in Kentucky is suffering from a base that is aging out and not bringing in enough “young faces” to make up for the difference. He said the vitriolic nature of politics, especially in this year’s elections, has painted the Democratic Party as something they are not.
“I’ve never tried to take anybody’s guns,” Ramey said. “I’ve never tried to make anybody marry somebody they didn’t want to marry, and I haven’t killed any babies. We have to articulate a message that dispels these myths that take the focus off the real issues.”
Ramey said he believes that with a Republican-controlled state, working men and women will suffer from stagnated incomes and the loss of state-instituted protections.
Murray’s city council members were also elected during Tuesday’s elections. Most of those elected were previously seated on the council and were allowed to remain by popular vote.