REPUBLICANS: OVER ONE MILLION AND GROWING (Kentucky)

(Frankfort, KY) Republican Party of Kentucky Chairman John McCarthy announced today that there are now more than one million Republicans on state voter rolls, according to statistics published by the Secretary of State. As of December 15, 2004, there were 1,002,915 registered Republicans in Kentucky, compared to just 944,197 on Election Day 2003.

“Our party continues to grow at a remarkable pace,” said McCarthy. “The reasons are clear—the Republican Party represents the values of most Kentuckians, and the voter registration numbers you are seeing reflect that.”

According to the Secretary of State, the GOP registered 58,718 voters from Election Day 2003 through December 15, 2004, compared to just 30,395 during the same period for the Democrats. Between Election Day 2002 to Election Day 2003, the Republican Party registered more than 36-thousand new voters compared to just over 14-thousand for the Democrats. Since Election Day 2002, Republicans have added 94,884 and Democrats have increased by just 44,672. The Republican Party of Kentucky is gaining registration ground at a more than 2-to-1 clip and shows no signs of slowing.

“What we’ve seen at the voting booth for years is now being reflected in voter registration numbers,” McCarthy said. “Look at the overwhelming victories for President Bush, Senator McConnell, and Governor Fletcher. Clearly, a majority of Kentuckians believe in the message and the values of the Republican Party.

“We won’t be satisfied until Kentucky’s registration numbers match its election results,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy added that while there are no elections in 2005, the Republican Party would continue its aggressive voter registration efforts. McCarthy said GOP election victories in 2004 only make the party “hungry for more.”

“We are committed to registering more Republicans because we know it helps our candidates in the future,” McCarthy said. “The more people we register gives us a larger pool of potential volunteers, donors, and people who simply are out there convincing their family and friends that the Republican Party and is right for them.”

“If the Bush/Cheney ‘04 campaign showed us anything, it is that that friend-to-friend, neighbor-to-neighbor contact wins elections. That grassroots model is one that will be followed for years to come, and a major component of that is voter registration,” McCarthy said.

Yes, and the news in Kentucky just continues to get better day after day after day!! This is a newspaper article that ran just a couple of days ago. Just for reference, Senator Gary Tapp and Representative Brad Montell are two of the most conservative legislators in the state, so their praise really does mean something!

Three Shelby County Elected Officials Switch from Democrat to Republican

County Attorney, County Coroner, Simpsonville Commissioner newest GOP’ers

(Shelbyville) Three Democrat elected officials in Shelby County switched their party registration Friday and became Republicans. County Attorney Chuck Hickman, Coroner Tommy Sampson, and Simpsonville City Commissioner Cary Vowels filled out new voter registration cards at a ceremony Friday at the County Courthouse.

“Just like President Reagan, I didn’t leave my party, my party left me,” said Hickman. “There is a lot of discussion these days about which party best represents Kentucky values—strong belief in faith and family, hard work, and personal responsibility. The Democratic Party is now dominated by liberal special interest groups and no longer believes in these ideals. That is why I am proudly switching to the Republican Party,” Hickman said.

State Senator Gary Tapp (R-20) was also on hand for the signing ceremony. Sen. Tapp said Hickman “was a man of courage who is standing up for the values he holds dear.”

“The Republican Party always welcomes men and women who keep their word and share our conservative, Kentucky values; I couldn’t be prouder to have Chuck in our party,” Tapp said.

State Representative Brad Montell (R-58) also praised the party switchers and said this is a trend that will continue for years to come.

“Today’s announcement is the personification of what we’ve been seeing at the voting booth for several years in Kentucky,” Montell said. “There are thousands of Democrats across the state who vote Republican because they hold the same conservative values of Chuck, Tommy, and Cary,” Montell said. “Today’s party switching is the outward expression of what is in the hearts of Democrats across this state.”

Republican Party of Kentucky Chairman John McCarthy said the state party will continue aggressive efforts to bring Democrats into the GOP.

“Our message is simple—if you believe in conservative values, if you believe in fiscal responsibility, if you believe in the leadership of great men like President George W. Bush, Senator Mitch McConnell, and Governor Ernie Fletcher, you are welcome in the Republican Party.”

“Our doors are open to all Democratic elected officials and voters across the Commonwealth who know their party registration doesn’t match their values.”

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