Republican James Comer opened up an early lead in the race for Kentucky agriculture commissioner against an opponent he says has a "million-dollar name."

With 24 percent of precincts reporting Tuesday, Comer had 109,822, or 57 percent of the vote, to Democrat Bob Farmer's 83,352, or 43 percent.

Comer, a farmer and state legislator, spent a half-million dollars in the campaign's closing days on a statewide TV ad campaign against Farmer, of Louisville.

Comer ran a TV ad that featured an old Farmer stand-up comedy
routine that poked fun at eastern Kentucky residents. The Republican has attracted the support of agricultural businesses, political leaders from both sides of the aisle and former ag commissioner and Democrat Billy Ray Smith.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)