Jim Glenn

Gov. Steve Beshear (D-Lexington) will maintain a busy schedule this evening, hitting fundraisers in both Louisville and Owensboro, according to reports.

Pat Crowley of the Kentucky Enquirer reports Beshear will host a fundraiser for 23rd state Senate district candidate Kathy Groob (D-Covington) at Louisville's 21C Museum Hotel this evening.

Groob is engaged in an expensive battle for the northern Kentucky district held by state Sen. Jack Westwood (R-Crescent Springs), with Polwatchers recently reporting that Groob has already spent over $186,000 in the race to Westwood's nearly $62,000.

Beshear is scheduled to be in Owensboro tonight for an event benefitting another Democratic candidate - state Sen. David Boswell (D-Owensboro), who is seeking the 2nd Congressional District seat against Republican state Sen. Brett Guthrie, of Bowling Green.

DENVER – Several Republican-held state House districts were named by state House speaker Jody Richards (D-Bowling Green) as targets for Democratic campaign efforts during an interview with PolitickerKY.com today.

Richards said campaigns for the legislature were on his mind as he met with fellow Kentuckians as a delegate at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

"I talk about house races because that is my interest - that is my main focus. That is my responsibility," said Richards.

The races pointed to by the speaker include Travis Calhoun’s (D-Hopkinsville) run to unseat state Rep. Myron Dossett (R-Pembroke) in the 9th District, Mike Weaver’s (D-Elizabethtown) campaign to knock off Rep. Tim Moore (R-Elizabethtown) in the 26th, Merrick Krey’s (D-Erlanger) effort against state rep. Adam Koenig (R-Erlanger) in the 69th, David Sparrow (D-Danville) and his race against Rep. Mike Harmon (R-Junction City)in the 54th, and Charlene Rabold’s (D-Bowling Green) bid counter to Rep. Jim DeCesare (R-Rockfield) in the 21st.

The losing Democratic challengers in 2006 in each of those districts all finished within 6 points of the Republican winners, with some losing margins sitting at less than 2 percent.

“We feel really good about where we are,” said Richards, who noted some other Republican-held districts were also under consideration.