Northern Kentucky as Republican Andy Barr and Democrat Charles Booker battle for a U.S.

Senate seat.

Turns out there will be a debate in the hardfought congressionalrace in Central Kentucky in Mason County.

Social media giant meta is behind a multibillion dollar proposal for a hyperscale data center, and more than 160 measles cases now reported across Kentucky.

heat for October, records even say it, much chillier air is settling in and comment is next on KET.

Good evening.

I'm Bill Bryant, and we welcome you to comment on Kentucky.

A look back at and some analysis of the week's news in the Commonwealth and the guests on our panel of working.

Kentucky journaliststonight are McKenna Horsley politics reporter for the Kentucky Lantern Cullen Glasscock, editor and publisher of the Kentucky Gazette and Lucas Aulbach chief politics reporter for the Courier-Journal.

Let's jump rightinto the swirling political waters.

Just two weeks before in-person voting will be underway here in the Commonwealth.

This weekend, President Trump is coming to Northern Kentucky as he continues to visit largely Republican leaning states, which has been his strategy here.

and running up to Election Day.

Lucas, could northern Kentucky's political lean give the president a large and potentially enthusiastic crowd?

>> Yeah, it could.

Cincinnati is a hot spot politically right now.

Cincinnati area in Kentucky and in Ohio, where there's a contested Senate race.

There's a governor's race that's getting a little tighter.

And some House races up And then, you know, in Kentucky, Representative Barr will be there.

The you know, he's been tied to Trump throughout this Senate race, and there will be Ed Gallrein there from the fourth district.

So, yeah, this is a this is home turf for him.

>> Because the Lucas Point Cincinnati area gives you a lot.

>> It does.

It's an opportunity to rally the Republican troops, so to speak.

The area is in Cincinnati media market.

So not only does the news coverage go through Northern Kentucky, but also through Cincinnati and some of those Ohio counties.

And as Lucas mentioned, the U.S.

Senate race there is very tight.

Sherrod.

Sherrod Brown is.

You did that.

>> Toblame me on that one.

>> Sorry.

He said Brown, the Democrat former senator, is trying to get the seat back he is running against the incumbent, Jon Husted, who was appointed to that job when JD Vance became vice president.

And there's a libertarian in the race as well.

So I think that's that's playing into that.

Close margins, especially because libertarians tend to take the votes from the Republicans.

>> McKenna.

We knowthat Andy Barr will be in attendance.

In fact, we'll be speaking apparently fromthe stage Ralph Alvarado running for Congress in Central Kentucky in that very heated race, does not plan to bethere.

>> Right.

Alvarado's campaign manager has said that he has planned to be at Court Days, the festival in Mount Sterling, Kentucky.

That is a large festival that does get a lot of foot traffic there.

It is a chance for politicians to meet voters eastern Kentucky area.

So that does make sense that somewhere youwant to be heading up to Election Day.

But Democrats, though, have said that by Alvarado not going to this Trump rally this weekend.

That's trying to get away from the president and trying to kind of to not tie themselves so closely together, even though he doeshave this endorsement from the primary election.

>> But be playing the numbers because isn't somewhere like Montgomery County exactly where a Republican candidate needs to have strength?

>> Right.

That's true.

And also, you know, one other candidate that has said he's also going to court days is Democrat Charles Booker in the Senate race as well.

>> Yeah, this is the point in the campaignswhere candidates need to be out.

They need to meet voters.

They need out the vote.

I'm seeing a lot of get out the vote materials, campaign materials, especially from Democrats, which suggests some confidence.

I think.

But they do need to get on the ground and be out there among people shaking hands and letting people know whatthey stand for.

Answering questions, too.

It'san opportunity for them to answer questions that average citizens might pose to them.

>> Montgomery County is somewherewhere Alvarado needs to run it up to this election.

>> Well, and speaking of answering questions, the Senate candidates are set to hold their only debate of the campaign Monday night at KY T in Lexington.

It's to be broadcast andstreamed by gray television stations in the state.

Why are there so few debates these days?

University of Kentucky political science professor told me.

It's mainly the Partizan political environment out there.

>> I think the reasondebates have have lost appeal to politicians is so many of us are so partizan now not able to swing, and the people who watch those debates especially, are there to root for team Red or Team Blue, they're not up for grabs.

It's all risk.

It's all downside to appear in a Very little likelihood you make a positive difference for your campaign.

>> You don't change many minds.

>> You don't change many minds unless you makea mistake that goes viral.

And then you change minds against you.

>> So, McKenna, are we at a point where a debate is somethingto survive for a candidate?

If you don't think you canmove the needle.

>> I think, you know, this isn't just a anything like that.

I read an article from time earlier this week that said more than half of the races in governor and Senate this year, the two party, two major party candidates in those races will notbe meeting for atelevised debate.

The Courier-Journal also had an article focusing onthe local level there in Louisville, where some candidates are not participating in debates.

They are televised, but just there for voters.

So, you know, it's difficult to or I guess there aremany reasons why somebody may choose nowadays to not do a debate.

I think one of those reasons is that kind of the viral moment that Voss was talking about there at the end, you know, if it'san hour long debate,but you have a bad few seconds, that's what people take see all online the next day.

>> It's high risk.

>> Itis high risk.

There's also a problem with the fact that that candidates often don'teven answer the question.

So voters don't learn anything.

There's they're the moderators often don't hold their feet to thefire.

And I've moderated.

I'm.

Forums myself.

I'm not trying to be critical of others, but there is a. That aspect it.

There's no content, so to speak.

And then the other part of it is the media environment has really changed.

So candidates don't need to addresseach other.

They use digital technology and sophisticated polling to reach specific voters on specific issues.

They micro-target and they can get messages out to specific voters, direct messages, and they also have social media.

Plus, they blast us all the time cover cover the debate.

So they just like to do it their own way.

>> Well, and you know, you're right, when you are moderating these debates, it can be tough because you will ask a question and they want to give a speech and then totry to go back and push back takes time.

And then you have a limited number of issues you can talk about.

>> That's right.

They start going at each other and then you're trying to grown ups, arguing.

And that doesn't that's not fun.

>> You know, I've been there many times.Oh yeah.

All right.

Senate nominee Andy Barr feels confident in his chances in the prognosticatorsout there mostly are calling it safefor him.

But Democrat Charles Booker keeps working hard.

Lucas he's in Mount Sterling for court days on Saturday morning.

Then he's going to Bowling Green in the afternoon.

All of that debate.

So are there chances remaining for Booker to score some points with voters?

>> Well, I think he'sprobably looking forward tothis Monday night debate, just like I am some great hosts over there.

I think he's looking forward to the debate.He's got some upside.He sees this as an upside play, as the underdogin the race.

You know he hasn't hadmany chances to push back against And you know he's making the rounds around thestate.

But we talk about that viral moment.

This might be his chance to do it and change some minds.

>> And you spoke of good hosts.

But I'll be one of the moderators and Lindsey Allen of Wdrb in Louisville also there.

So wewill have an interesting debate.

7:00 on Monday night on the gray television stations and streaming as well.

All right.

In Kentucky's closely watched sixth district race, the two candidates for Congress will be together some before the election.

Democrat Zach Dembo and Republican Ralph Alvarado have now agreed to a debate next Thursday evening at KY.

They're both also expected at a candidate forum in Estill County.

This campaign has seen a lot of.

As Laura was describing it, TV and digital ads and political signs sprouting up like daisies out there.

Now they have finally agreed to appear together.

Couldbe interesting.

>> The.

I covered the event.

They attended in July.

The Lexington Chamber of Commerce Lexington held that it was very civil, very focused on business.

So itwill be interesting to see after.

So that was beforea lot of these nasty campaign ads started running and a lot that PAC money that that generates those ads and pays for those.

So it'll be interesting now tosee how they respond to each other and what kind of, of conversation they'll have if it's actually a debate or if it becomes a tax on each other, if they can actually tell viewers something.

But I think it's important for them.

This is personal opinion.

I'm not a campaign consultant, but if you look at the polls that are out there and it's very close dembos ahead in a lotof them, but a lot of those polls stillhave 6%, 8% undecided.

And those are people who still are looking for information.

They're likely voters, but they haven't decided yet.

So, you know, there's still that that group of people, that voting block in play.

>> The last time you were here, you pointed out nearly independent voters or nonaffiliated.

>> In the district.

>> So, yeah.

So that could be something to watch.

To Laura's point, a lot of political action money is pouring in here.

A lot of these ads don't.

Therefore a candidate, obviously, but they are not supposed to be coordinated with the campaign.

Right, right.

>> You know, it's not unusual activity, I wouldsay, ahead of an election to see a lot of money particularly nowadays.

I know like in the primary Massie's race in the fourth Congressional District that got a lot ofPAC money as well.

Our governor's race, the last time in 23, said a statewide record in history.

So it's just more common nowadays, I think, to see a lot of money in races.

>> Well, it's moreit's it's to McKenna's point, it's not the PACsthemselves, but it's these independent expenditure committees, thesesuper PACs that are spending money, millions of dollars.

It's not like it's not like the Kentucky ChamberPAC that gives a thousand bucks to some state Senate candidate.

It's totally different.

And they are uncoordinated, or they're supposed to be uncoordinated with the campaign.

But legally, that's how it's supposed to be.

>> All right.

Then, let's look at the six geographically,because it's interestingthat is it a given that Dimbo carries Lexington, which has leaned to blue for several years, Alvarado hopes to run up the numbers in the Republican leaning outlying counties that surround it.

Could something disrupt the math?

>> Well, I better hope heruns it up in Fayette County.

I think he's kind of banking on that, especially with the district havingredistricted several Frankfort out of it.

You know, this is you got to win Lexington if you'reZach Dembo.

And I think he's probably in a position to do that.

But yeah, it's it's these surrounding counties, the kind of purple ish on the outside and then the red in thewhen you get a little further from Lexington, these are.Yeah, it's dimbo.

I've been told his events in some of these redder areas have been well attended.

SoI think he's But yeah, I mean, his, his his goal is win Fayette and get some of these othervoters.

Alvarado has make the gains that you can in Fayetteand win these outsidecounties.

>> Gill closely watch Madison and Scott.

>> That's right.

Yeah.

Denver needs to close the gap.He may not win.

Scott Countyfor example, but he needs to narrow thegap so that Alvarado doesn't carry it by spread.

And and it's interesting in this district too.

I went back andlooked.

But Congressman Barr hasn't had a very prominent, if you will, challenger these last two election cycles.

So this is kind of new to see a strong Democrat running, you know, because it's been a while since he's had since we've had to really look at that.

The turnout numbers and see how that's how that played.

>> was telling to me that Barr said he considers it to be a toss up for his successor.

>> Right.

You know, one point I wasthinking about earlier.

>> Was that the word the term was toss up.

>> He said.

He said a toss up.

That was a quote.

But I think it's interesting that the the the man who holds the seat right now is calling it a toss up, but we haven't seen some national race raiders like the Cook Political Report, the crystal ball out of University of Virginia.

They still have this race leaning.

Are.

But nationwide they are moving a lot of races in the House and Senate and in governor races as well to the Democrats favor.

You know, one place I think is telling like Alaska.

I think both of thoseraces are now in Democrats favor.

You know, so we're seeing this kind of coalescing of national movement for that is what the six Democrats are hoping to kind of replicate there early on in the night.

>> Well, we'll knowsoon.

Right.

And there are some state legislative races as well, even though Republicans appear quite set to retain their supermajoritiesin the House and Senate, Joe Sonka reported this week that business affiliated groups have given nearly $900,000 to legislative candidates.

Lukas, a lot ofthat money has gone to GOP Senator Julie Raque Adams in Louisville.

>> Yeah, someone who's been in the legislature for a long time and someone who is a Republican out of Louisville.

This is a district that they kind of probably naturally have wanted to flip fora long time.

A lot of eyes on that race.

She's going against former JCPSboard member Sarah Cole McIntosh.

You know, Adams has name ID.

has been around for a long time.

She has good ties in Frankfort, andthere's a lot ofmoney moving her way.

But I think that money, you know, they wouldn't be investing in this race if they didn't think that they needed to.

>> McKenna, youalso found that some education groups helped candidates they favored in the May primary.

And I take it that revelation has set off some controversy.

>> Yeah.

The story you're talking about.

So the PAC of theJefferson County Teachers Association donated $200,000 in the primary to the Commonwealth Conservative Coalition, which is a PAC that typically supports Republican candidates.

But what is happening now in the general electionis that conservative PAC is now running ads against candidates endorsed by the JCTA so it's kind of a shift in between the primary and the general election.

A lot of that involves House races, like we're talking about, and it involves a lot of spending money.

Like we'realso talking about as well.

>> All right.

You always do a great job looking over campaign contributions.

And after all, that is what fuels the campaigns.

And here weare with a lot of fundraising activity for next year going on.

We talked last week about Democratic governor Rocky Adkins strong early fundraising.

You have noted on the Republican side, Attorney General Russell Coleman is filling up his coffers.

>> He is he is actively campaigning.

He said he's going to run for reelection.

Of course, candidates for next year can't file to run until Wednesday after the election.

He has over $1 million in his campaign fund already.

So and that's a lot, I never noticed that before, where you've had these constitutional officers really runningup the numbers this early in the game.

He's running for reelection.

And then just side note, Treasurer Metcalfe auditor Ball and AG Commissioner Jonathan Shell are all seeking reelection as well.

Michael Adams term limited.

So we'll see who's going into there.

>> Do you think, with the attorney General let's people away.

Money.

>> I think so, yeah.

Scare people away.

Scare scare off a primary.

It's unusual to have an incumbent primary like that unless they do something terrible.

But yeah, I think that's it.

Just make Democrat's think twice.

Especially a statewide election.

I mean, statewide is alot different, of course, than running in the districts.

>> Well, Kentuckians will be voting for more than just candidates on Election Day in November.

Voters will also have a constitutional amendment on the ballot, which would limit the governor's pardoning power.

State Senator Christian McDaniel is the author of the amendment, and he's been traveling the state urging people to vote for it.

>> What amendment one simply does is from 60 days before a gubernatorial election until the time of the swearing in of a pardon ceases to exist.

>> All right, McKenna, we we know the origin of this right was that the pardons of 2019, right?

>> Yes.

So Senator McDaniel has carriedthisbill in the legislature forseveral years as a way to kind of rectify what happened with former Governor Matt Bevin pardons at the end of his tenure after he lost that 2019 election Governor Andy Beshear, he issued a flurry of pardons that were very controversial, hundreds ofpardons.

So this is kind of a way to make sure, in McDaniel's view, to that something like that never happens again.

It brings more accountability tothat pardon power.

I will say some people are wary of doing this by changing the state constitution theway it's been for so long.

A spokesperson forGovernor Beshear told me a few months ago that while he does agree that these pardons were an abuse of power by the former governor, he was worried about not limiting or trying to limit that power in some way and ensure thatwe instead elect good governors.

That wouldn't do that.

>> Well, some have said it's an opportunity for governors to, in somecases, correct mistakes that may have been made in the in the judicial >> Right.

And I've heard that, too.

I asked Senator McDaniel if he felt like this was limiting the issuing of pardons, limiting that power from being given to people.

And he does not feel that way.

But some people I haveheard do question if that does close a bit of a window for them.

>> Right.

A major announcement this week in Mason County, where it was revealed that social media giant meta is behind a multibillion hyperscale data center.

It will need nearly 3000 acres of land, and local leaders approved it, saying that it will make a huge difference for the region.

>> Initial investment $15 billion, 2000 construction and trades jobs guaranteed minimum of 400.

High paying, career making, self.

And youth retaining jobs.

>> Lucas.

So many communities areshying away from these data centers or awaiting some kind of rules from the state or federal government.

Mason County leaders obviously feel comfortable in moving forward.

>> A transformational and generational moment is, I believe, how theydescribed it.

My coworker, MattJoe Livecchi had a good story on this.

Yeah, the hope is it brings in 80 plus million dollars for County revenue School district revenue.

But, you know, it's data centers are communities anywhere, and especially a project like this.

And also the deal comes with an exemption for paying property taxes, although they will there will be other payments to kind of offset that.

But yeah, I mean, data centers, they do not come without controversy.

>> So there is or will be an agreement between the operators and the local.

Yes.

Yeah.

All right.

This week, city in Frankfort voted unanimously not to renew their contract with flock.

Mayor Elaine Wilkerson said the public does not support the ongoing use of cameras as part of a growing list of citiesthat are making that decision.

Laura.

>> Yeah, independence, Kentucky.

I think they started or they've banned or ceased their contracts.

I forget the exact status of it, but Northern Kentucky is seeing some I think Lexington's been talkingabout it.

So yeah, the privacy concerns, the misuse of the data.

That's all come up in public discussion.

>> Kentucky's hemp industry hoping for some relief from federal rules set to take effect later this year.

This week,there was alsosome discussion of possible regulations of hemp products.

If they do remain on the shelves, but that is in question at >> Yes.

So Congressman Barr met with some hemp industry leaders here in Kentucky earlier this week to discuss legislation from the federal level of what could happen.

I think there is a December 11th deadline that's kind of looming over Congress right now about what to do with hemp regulations.

I think how this election goes could be kind of telling on what Congress, as it is those few weeks before that time.

>> And Kentucky has had more than 150 confirmed cases of measles in recent weeks.

Apparently, one report of maybe 160 at this point, 56 confirmed just in Laurel County, Governor Andy Beshear blamed the Trump administration and the Health and Human Services Secretary for the situation.

>> I mean, we've had more measles cases this year than we've had, I years before.

And the absolute reason is RFK junior.

I mean, my goodness, we had eliminated measles here in the United States.

>> Okay.

So our number we're learning now is apparently 157 confirmed at this.

>> Case, 160 cases.

>> Yes.

>> Sobut for comparison, last year there were 13 cases of measles in the state for that whole year in 24, there were zero.

So numbers there.

>> Beshear sent a letter to the Trump administration aboutSnap benefits as well this week.

>> He did.

He said that he sent it tothe congressional delegation as well, saying that 80,000 Kentuckians could lose nutritional support if the cuts from the big bill in H.R.

one take take effect.

>> EKU is dealing with the budget shortfall, and they're making some cuts to try up for that.

>> That'sright, $6.7 million shortfall at our alma mater, Bill.

And the Eastern progress, the the student newspaper there reported that academic units are being asked to cut $3.2 million from their budgets.

>> And apparently, health insurance is one of the big costs.

>> Yeah, it's going to bump up by an average of $68 a month, is my understanding.

According to the reporting I read out there.

spouses if they work somewhere else, that offers health care.

My understanding is, yeah.

>> And so we'll keep following on that.

Kentucky students earned some good scores in reading in recent years.

That's from Kentucky Department of Education.

Very encouraging math.

Still a challenge.

Lucas.

Some college players in a Louisville courtroom fighting for a year of eligibility.

And they got it.

>> Some their coach, Pat Kelsey, who put on quite a show.

I don't know ifyou've seen any of these clips floating around online, but yeah, there was a lawsuit over eligibility of these 2020 class of 22 recruits who came out of high school in 2022,who now say, hey, if everybody else is goingto get a fifth year, we deserve a fifth year too.

So they say we're in lineto miss out on life changing money with the way NIL works at this point.

So there that earlier this week in Louisville.

And just on the way when I was out here, it sounds like the court ruled in favor of players like Seth Trimble and Louisville Alex Afari for the UK football team, who is winning games these days.

And so the court granted that injunction.

But as as usual, you can expect anappeal.

So we'llsee whathappens.

>> All right.

Well, many are remembering former Kentucky Agriculture Ray Smith.

He served two terms as commissioner starting in 1996.

Before that, Smith spent 13 years in the state legislature, representing Warren and Simpson counties.

Smith was a Democrat, but many of his Republican friends praised his nonpartisan approach to the job.

He was well known for managing the 1998 tobacco settlement and helping farmers diversify their crops.

Billy Ray Smith and Breathitt County's judge executive, Jeff Noble, has died during his terms in office.

Noble led the county through the Covid pandemic and the disastrous flooding in the region in 2022.

He was 65.

In Kentucky, lost basketball legend Cliff Hagan this week, who died at theage of 94, and Owensboro native.He played for UK and was part ofa 1951 team that won the NCAA He later played in the NBA and then was later UK.

S athletics director.

That's comment on Kentucky.