Little buzz around Kentucky one week before primary election
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Little buzz around Kentucky one week before primary election

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Posted at 5:12 PM, May 14, 2024
and last updated 2024-05-14 17:13:01-04

It's a presidential election year, but as far as Kentucky's May 21 primary goes, there's no real suspense about who the nominees for U.S. president will be.

"Since we've been running the presidential race for months now and we know exactly who the nominees are, and we know exactly what they're going to say, chances are it's not a big pull to either vote for Trump or Biden," said LEX 18's Political Analyst Bob Babbage. "Biden and Trump are doing very little here to encourage a vote."

"You're facing a voter who is somewhat inconvenienced to vote in a race where there's a predetermined outcome," Babbage added. "If this was March 21st or even February 21st, then it might matter. It would matter to the nation as well as the state."
 
While Kentuckians may not be able to influence the presidential nomination process as much as voters in some other states, they do have choices to make about who will represent them in Frankfort.

All 100 Kentucky House seats and half of the Kentucky Senate seats are on the ballot this year. And one thing experts will be watching out for is how the liberty candidates do.

"The liberty factor in the Republican party is something to keep an eye out here and around the country," said Babbage. "We saw it last week with Marjorie Taylor Greene and [Thomas] Massie, our own Congressman from Northern Kentucky, teaming up to try to move out the Speaker of the House."

"It was, kind of, the liberty movement rising to a new level of impact," he added. "Will that happen here? Will liberty challengers beat established Republicans in any race, anywhere?"