The Second Congressional District - A Chunk of the Heart of Kentucky

The Second Congressional District

The 2nd Congressional District is an example of the conflicted political heart of Kentucky. Created by politicians with personal reasons for ignoring geography.  Drawn with kindergarteners' fat crayons, it’s a jumble of urban corridors and rural-minded lightly populated farm counties.  The 2nd is a triumph of gerrymandering, surpassed only by the serpentine shape of the 1st Congressional District.

With Shelby and a piece of Jefferson Counties on the northeast edges and Daviess and Warren Counties on the western edges, the 2nd is a district with military ties – Ft. Knox, Ft. Campbell with active duty and retirees in the thousands. It's a district with blue collar workers, farmers, small towns and heartland values. The Second Congressional District held family values before there was a name for it. 

Democrat William H. Natcher held the seat from 1953 until he died in March, 1994. Natcher was famous for an unbroken string of votes in Congress, not taking campaign funds and championing roads and schools for his district.

The midterm election of President Bill Clinton's first term proved to be unfortunate for the Democratic Party.  Lewis came into office as one of the Republican Revolution that swept Congress into the GOP’s hands. Lewis, a Southern Baptist minister and Elizabethtown Christian book store owner, had worked in Governor Louie Nunn’s administration. He had remained active in Republican politics and was in the right place at the right time to run a shoestring campaign. Opponent Joe Prather, believing the seat was safely in Democratic hands, reportedly was scoping out a home in Washington, was handed a stinging defeat. 

Prather is back in public life. In one of his first appointments, Governor Beshear appointed him Transportation Secretary. Now he is ensconced in the glass and stainless Transportation Building in Frankfort.

Democrats in Kentucky’s Second Congressional District will choose between State Senator David Boswell and former County Judge Reed Haire on May 20th as their congressional candidate. The winner will take on Kentucky Senator Brett Guthrie to decide who fills the seat being vacated by Ron Lewis. Rep. Lewis decided to retire from the House and not seek re-election. That decision was kept secret and at the last minute, Lewis’ chief of staff, Daniel London filed for the office. He withdrew after a howl of “unfair” from GOP insiders, leaving Guthrie as the GOP nominee without a primary. Guthrie has a pile of money and can spend the summer building name recognition and support in the district.