Brown Core Counties - Brown Natural Base outlined in red

Blue - Interstate Highways

The Beshear campaign has used the same corridor that Brown used to win his 1979 primary election.

1979 Democratic Primary

Modern gubernatorial campaigning was born during the 1979 Democratic Primary when John Y. Brown defeated Terry McBrayer and three other big name Democrats: Harvey Sloane, Carroll Hubbard and Thelma Stovall.

Modern Geo-Political Power Corridor

Brown’s win over the status quo set in motion a new geo-political alignment of power in Kentucky.Underlying Brown’s victory was the fact that a relatively unknown candidate used technology, glamour, and media to run a short burst high intensity race. The use of technology was supported by the geography of linking the urban trade areas (TV media zones) into a broad based political message platform. The 6:00 and 10:00 p.m. news reporting trumped the old court house gang.

Forward to the 2007 governor’s race. Beshear has run a perfect urban framed model for linking the same counties as had Brown. Forty seven counties along I-65, I-75, and I-64 linking the media markets of Louisville, Lexington, Frankfort, Bowing Green, and Northern Kentucky will give the Democrats a new urban power base.

Dynamics of the primary consisted of:

1. The governor in power tried to keep hands on political power by backing a “stand-in” candidate. Governor Carroll backed McBrayer who had served in the administration as Commerce Secretary.

2. Stronger regional Democratic leaders viewed race as “wide-open” because Governor could not run again.

3. Fraction of Democratic Party in power did not keep up with the issues impacting general population of state. Ford-Carroll Democrats held power in Kentucky from 1972 through 1979. They were the status quo.

4. Strong undercurrent in state politics of urban vs. rural interests. Mayors of Louisville and Lexington were building their own large Democratic power bases. They gave great support to legislative leadership in the General Assembly. A strong urban agenda was forged in the General Assembly to take care of the “Golden Triangle.”

5. Executive power was controlled by the governor’s office with a strong local network of power given through the local county court house organizations. The Governor defined the rural agenda for the state.

John Y. Brown: The Candidate

Carroll’s experts in his political circle had planned a fight against Harvey Sloane and Carroll Hubbard (who will soon run for the state Senate). They saw these two as the most important threat to their plans to continue the Julian Carroll administration through a Terry McBrayer win. Brown was not on their radar. Brown beat the experts and status quo because he was a bright fresh face injected into Kentucky politics.

Brown, with his new Miss America wife, Phyllis George, brought a touch of Hollywood and New York glamour to the campaign. Brown’s campaign became the rallying point of a massive vote against the Governor and the status quo. Western Kentucky, Louisville, Lexington, Northern Kentucky and extreme Eastern Kentucky voted against the party line.

At the end of the day, Brown won 29 % of the 566,785 votes cast. Hubbard took 15 far Western Kentucky counties for 12 % of the vote. Sloane of Louisville captured 16 counties around Louisville with 25 % of the vote. McBrayer won almost all of the eastern and southeastern counties with 23 % of the vote.