It's one thing to think about and consider a run for political office... It's another when candidates actually start filing as they are now.

Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry's first fundraiser is a "Who's Who" list of guests.

It is interesting that one of Governor Beshear's cabinet secretaries has publicly endorsed one Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate while the governor is openly pulling for the other major candidate.

Many politicians are tuning up for Fancy Farm... the almost 129 year old tradition in Western Kentucky.

It's already been an eventful year with a regular session and a special session of the Kentucky legislature. There was casino drama and lawmakers and the governor had to take an axe to the state budget, because of a huge shortfall.

With the legislature coming to Frankfort ... the push is on from both sides in the "slots at tracks" debate.

Can you say "same party?" U.S. Senator Jim Bunning was asked about his fellow Kentucky senator declining to endorse his campaign for re-election during a nationwide TV appearance over the weekend.

Senator Jim Bunning says he is encouraged by the support he is now seeing within the ranks of Kentucky Republican activists. Bunning says after a weekend statewide GOP event, where would be challengers were polite, he plans to continue his fundraising for next year's race. He has events scheduled in state and out of state.

Kentucky's 2010 U.S. Senate race is unsettled. That's because the Democrats know they're headed for a barn burner primary that will pit two constitutional office holders against each other.

This may seem to be a quiet political year in Kentucky with no scheduled elections. But the water is boiling just under the lid. It's very interesting to note how many 2010 candidates are already filing papers to begin raising money for next year's races.

As the 2010 election takes shape before our very eyes, we're all reminded that most decisions are being made in quiet places and on cell phone conversations well away from the prying eyes of the media... we get whiffs and often they're correct.

Despite 2009 being an off-year for elections..... there is plenty of drama behind the scenes.

WKYT has a long tradition of really pulling out the stops on election night. Our entire staff, from every department comes in to help with the extra effort. For weeks, we've been planning live shots, mapping out routes for our crews to dash from place to place and most importantly getting our systems ready to handle the huge volume returns that will come in.

After more than a year for many campaigns, Election 2008 comes to down to a few remaining days.

Polls continue to roll in showing the Kentucky U.S. Senate race is tight. It is also being closely watched around the country. Time magazine did a story featuring the battle for the senate and zeroed in on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's challenge from Democrat Bruce Lunsford.... Other publications and websites are buzzing about the possibility of an upset in this election that would've been unheard of just a few months ago.

About 3,000,000 Kentuckians are on the voting rolls for the coming November election... more than any time in history. There is energy heading toward the election with a steady stream of early voting reported in clerks offices where that is underway.

We have heard it as a refrain in many recent elections... made famous by the 1992 Bill Clinton campaign that refused to take its focus off the economy as the election approached. "It's the economy stupid" was up on the wall in Clinton's war room and has been visible in many campaign offices since. Remember that's the election where George H.W. Bush has an approval rating of nearly 90% after the first Gulf War. But as the campaign wore on, voters forgot about war and focussed on their pocketbooks.

I've gotten some information from inside the McConnell camp that shows the Republican senate leader opening up a significant lead in his run for re-election. They've been doing some statewide polling and a note to the senator from the pollster says McConnell's overall lead is 17%.... McConnell 52% and Democrat Bruce Lunsford 35%. We are very cautious about distributing internals on air... we have a threshold for reporting there that requires us having some knowledge and confidence in the methodology. But here on the blog...

Democratic U.S. Senate Candidate Bruce Lunsford has notified Centre College that he will take part in a proposed live televised debate in Danville. Centre proposes the event for next month at the Norton Center for Performing Arts, the site of the 2000 U.S. Vice Presidential debate and last year's most heavily viewed debate in the Kentucky governor's race.

This has certainly been one of the most exciting two week periods in American political history.

The Democratic National Convention in Denver is underway and Kentuckians are in the thick of things. The Kentucky delegation is staying just across the street from the convention center and it's an easy walk to most of the happenings. I've been in contact with some at the convention who acknowledge some questions hang in the air as the speeches get underway. The biggest is ... How united will Democrats be after Denver?

Alright gang… it’s been busy past few days in the newsroom with regular news and editorial decisions… from the young woman who was escorted out of the Richmond Mall for wearing the dress she had bought there… to the start of school to some of our always brazen criminals making life tough for everybody who works hard and tries to do the right thing.

Lexington Democratic activists heard from five candidates who wanted the party nomination in the 75th house district. That’s the mainly downtown/UK area district represented now by Kathy Stein who is running for the senate seat being vacated by Ernesto Scorsone.

There could be an interesting race brewing in Fayette County for that open state senate seat where Ernesto Scorsone is leaving the legislature after 24 years. Scorsone has decided to make a career change and go for a circuit judgeship.