Today, Governor Steve Beshear announced his choice of Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson to be his running mate in his 2011 re-election campaign. (Please excuse the shortness of this diary - I wanted to get this out...).
Mayor Abramson is an intensely popular figure in Louisville and the state's urban areas. So popular, in fact, that he's currently serving out his fifth term as Mayor, lending to the slogan "Mayor for Life" among his supporters
Abramson, 62, is in his 20th year as mayor of Louisville. He served three terms as mayor of the city of Louisville and is in his second term as mayor of the merged Louisville Metro government.
I am personally a fan of Mayor Abramson for many reasons, not the least of which is his instrumental role in perhaps the most important decision for the city of the last century - the city-county merger.
Anyone who pays any attention knows that Gov. Beshear is going to have an uphill battle. Elected to clean up Frankfort after a nasty indicted-governor's merit-employee scandal, Beshear's unwillingness to play the good-old-boy game probably isn't helping him attract donors. Additionally, he has been required to spend the first two years of his term cleaning up Fletcher's mess of a budget, in the middle of an economic recession, no less, requiring painful budget cuts across the board. He's been getting kicked around in the blogs since day one of his administration, which doesn't help with the Democratic base.
Mayor Abramson brings a lot of things to the Beshear re-election ticket. For starters, the Mayor's donor base alone is going to prove vital to a Governor who may not have the kind of financial support that he enjoyed in 2007. Secondly, and of course more importantly, Mayor Abramson is simply a perfect choice to serve in the Executive Branch of Kentucky's government. 20 years of experience running the largest city in the Commonwealth is exactly what I'd be looking for if I were choosing a Lt. Gov.
Finally, as a Lexington resident and a progressive, I appreciate the governor's choice for a more personal reason. Lexington and Louisville are the economic engines of Kentucky, and yet it seem like those of us who live in one of these cities have such little representation in a statewide politics that falls all over itself to cater to the more conservative tendencies of rural voters. There are serious urban issues that our Mayors and Councils are dealing with, and making the number-two-guy in Frankfort an urban executive is a nice reach-out for us.
Abramson is not universally loved, for sure. The west and east flanks of the state are likely going to resent a Louisville politician getting the spot rather than one of their own (NOTE: Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo is from Eastern Kentucky. He is being replaced on the ticket because he is running for the United States Senate). He has progressive tendencies (favoring gun control, for instance), and Louisville unions aren't his biggest fan. But for this young progressive urban Kentucky voter, I can't think of a better choice.
UPDATED: Fixed original post typo that claimed Beshear was running for re-election in 2010. It's actually going to be 2011 before this has to happen. Thanks to hilltopper for pointing out the typo in the comments.