U.S. House, Kentucky - 2nd District
West central -- Owensboro, Bowling Green
Race Forecast: Leans Republican
2008: Brett Guthrie (R) vs. David Boswell (D)
2006: Rep.
Lewis’ 55 percent vote share in 2006 was a warning sign that even this rock-ribbed conservative swath of west-central Kentucky could go Democratic under the right circumstances. In this battle of state senators, Republican Brett Guthrie is better-funded, and the district’s expected vote for
Race Information
- Incumbent: Brett Guthrie, R
- First Elected: 2008 (1st term)
- Last Elected: (%)
- Incumbent Status: Running for re-election
- Race Forecast: Leans Republican
District Information
Politics in America District Profile
The mostly rural 2nd, anchored in Kentucky’s west-central heartland, takes in some suburban areas near Louisville and runs through rolling tobacco country, ending in the river country to the west.
Tobacco remains the 2nd’s dominant crop, but production in some areas has decreased here as crop areas moved west following the federal buyout of tobacco farms and the end of the quota system. Coal and oil east of Owensboro make it western Kentucky’s leading trade center and provide jobs throughout the district. An Amazon.com distribution center in Campbellsville has brought stability to an otherwise grim economy in the 2nd’s rural areas, which have been subject to the highs and lows of the coal industry. The General Motors Corvette plant in Bowling Green employs around 1,200. Tourism is a growing sector of the economy, and Mammoth Cave National Park, which has the most extensive known cave system in the world, draws more than 2 million visitors annually.
The eastern portion of the district includes several of the distilleries on Kentucky’s “Bourbon Trail.” Bardstown, in Nelson County, bills itself as the heart of the Bourbon Trail and boasts a whiskey museum. The 2nd is home to many distilleries that produce famous brands such as Jim Beam, in Clermont, and Maker’s Mark, in Loretto.
The 2nd includes the birthplace (in Larue County) of Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president, and district voters now side with the GOP in federal elections after a long period of Democratic dominance. In the 2004 presidential election, George W. Bush won all 19 counties that lie wholly within the 2nd, and just two gave him less than 60 percent of the vote. The 2nd was Bush’s best district (65 percent) in Kentucky in 2004.
Major Industry
Tobacco, coal, oil, tourism, manufacturing
Military Bases
Fort Knox, 5,473 military, 3,319 civilian (2006)
Cities
Owensboro, 54,067; Bowling Green, 49,296; Elizabethtown, 22,542
notable
The U.S. Bullion Depository, or “Gold Vault,” at Fort Knox houses the largest portion of the U.S. gold reserve; Bardstown’s Federal Hill Mansion inspired Stephen Foster to compose the ballad “My Old Kentucky Home” and is on the state’s commemorative quarter.
- Demographics (2000 census)
- Population: 673,224
- Under 18: 25.8%
- Over 65: 11.6%
- Married: 60%
- Non-Hispanic White: 91%
- Black: 6%
- Hispanic: 2%
- Asian: 1%
- Foreign Born: 2%
- Language other than English: 4.2%
- Median Household Income: 35,724
- Owner Occupied Housing: 73.5%
- Income above $200k: 1.1
- Workforce/Education (2000 census)
- White Collar: 49.6%
- Blue Collar: 36.3%
- Services: 14.1%
- Bachelor's Degree: 14%
- Graduate Education: 5.6%
- Civilian Veterans: 68,435
| Year | Election | Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | general | Brett Guthrie (R) | 158,936 | 52.6% |
| David Boswell (D) | 143,379 | 47.4% | ||
| 2006 | general | Ron Lewis (R) | 118,548 | 55.4% |
| Mike Weaver (D) | 95,415 | 44.6% | ||
| 2004 | general | Ron Lewis (R) | 185,394 | 67.9% |
| Adam Smith (D) | 87,585 | 32.1% | ||
| 2002 | general | Ron Lewis (R) | 122,773 | 69.6% |
| David Williams (D) | 51,431 | 29.2% | ||
| Robert Dyer (LIBERT) | 2,084 | 1.2% | ||
| Year | Democrat | Republican | Independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | John Kerry: 34% | George W. Bush: 65% | |
| 2000 | Al Gore: 37% | George W. Bush: 61% |
Campaign Finance Details for the 2008 Race
| Filers | Through | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Total From PACs | Total From Individuals | Ending Cash | Debts Owed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WEAVER, JOHN MICHAEL (D) | June 5, 2008 | $40,863.00 | $69,921.00 | ||||
| LEWIS, RON (R) | November 24, 2008 | $582,418.00 | $575,942.00 | $12,709.00 | $101,189.00 | $63,831.00 | |
| HAIRE, REID (D) | September 30, 2008 | $277,967.00 | $277,637.00 | $249,012.00 | $328.00 | $12,000.00 | |
| LONDON, DANIEL ERIC (R) | February 22, 2008 | $14,895.00 | $14,895.00 | $12,895.00 | |||
| BOSWELL, DAVID E (D) | November 24, 2008 | $909,997.00 | $892,920.00 | $47,000.00 | $528,861.00 | $17,078.00 | $18,335.00 |
| GUTHRIE, STEVEN BRETT (R) | November 24, 2008 | $1,258,647.00 | $1,239,014.00 | $101,790.00 | $762,568.00 | $19,632.00 | $30,859.00 |
