John Yarmuth, a Louisville editor, writer and businessman, won the Democratic primary for the Third Congressional District in Kentucky, handily defeating Marine Corps veteran Andrew Horne and two other challengers.
Yarmuth, who writes an opinion column for the weekly Louisville Eccentric Observer (LEO), will challenge five-term Republican incumbent Anne Northup in November. Yarmuth founded LEO, a completely ad-supported alternative entertainment and news/opinion newspaper, 15 years ago. He sold it to Times Publishing in 2003, stepping down as its exceutive editor at the same time.
The two represent disparate sides of the political arena. Northup has sided with the Bush administration on nearly every issue during her term in office. Yarmuth, in his weekly column, has eloquently lambasted Bush, Northup and the rest of the Republican apparatchik on just as many issues.
The longterm public display of his unabashedly liberal politics and keen intellect no doubt gave Yarmuth a decided edge over the rest of the Democratic candidates. None of the four have ever held political office.
According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, Tuesday's primary results were:
All 501 precincts reporting
John Yarmuth...30,958 (54%)
Andrew Horne...18,659 (32%)
James Moore...4,580 (8%)
Burrel Farnsley...3,322 (6%)
Horne, a Marine Corps veteran, represented the moderate Republican disaffection with the Bush Administration. Horne, a Louisville attorney, served in the Gulf and has been openly critical of the Bush Administration's handling of the Iraq War. It is unclear whether he will throw his support behind the arguably more liberal Yarmuth.
Moore, a local engineer and businessman, and Farnsley, a warehouse worker, were dark horses in the primary campaign. Moore held his own against Horne and Yarmuth in public debates, but his newcomer image could not compete against Horne's military experience and Yarmuth's editorial presence. Farnsley, for his part, provided mostly just comic relief.
Whether Yarmuth can successfully unseat Northup remains to be seen. Louisville, where the LEO has its largest circulation, is more liberal than the surrounding counties comprising the Third District. Yarmuth's liberal platform may not play in the outlying suburban and rural areas.
Northup's conservatism and "down-home" public image have appealed to conservative Christians and business interests in the District, a former Democratic stronghold. Her close connections to Tom Delay and the Bush Administration may, however, work against her, given Bush's low public approval ratings and Delay's public humiliation.
Northup has also been implicated as benefiting from the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal -- allegations that she has denied.
The campaign leading up to November will be a hot one. Northup is on the defensive, while Yarmuth will have to convince moderate Republicans and Democrats that he is a viable alternative to Queen Anne.
Let's hope for the best.