Mary Potter
Tuesday, May 31, 2011 4:12 pm
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Gatewood Galbraith and running mate Dea Riley need 5000 signatures on a petition to get their slate on November's ballot as an independent slate for governor and lieutenant governor.
According to reports out of the campaign late last week, they reached the magic number. However, they aren't ready to turn in their candidacy papers yet. The campaign wants to gather enough signatures to withstand challenges from both parties to the ones they already have.
Reached by phone on Friday, Galbraith said he is aiming for 10,000 signatures. He said that some of the existing signatures are "illegible." That will make them vulnerable to challenge when lawyers for the two political parties take a magnifying glass and a nit comb to the filing.
Galbraith, always good for a pithy soundbite, was having a very quotable day.
Money isn't a problem, according to Gatewood. He says he tells supporters "It doesn't matter how much money they raise, your vote isn't for sale."
The goal of the campaign is to raise a half a million dollars.
When asked what weaknesses his opponents, Governor Steve Beshear and Senate President David Williams, share, Galbraith thundered "Their political affiliation! Parties are the problem. Partisanship is killing us."
He chortled over a recent poll in the Frankfort State Journal that gave him 62% of the vote. He denied that his campaign organized an effort to sway the poll. He's convinced that voters have had enough of the two political parties and are ready to elect an independent.
Galbraith sees no problem with governing as an independent should he win the governor's office. He said that party affiliation won't matter when a legislator has an idea. Representatives and senators left out because they are in the minority in their chamber will be welcome to come directly to the Governor's office.
Galbraith was reminded that Senator David Williams, should he lose, will still be the power in the Kentucky Senate. It didn't phase him. Galbraith said that he understands where Williams comes from. Democrats for years pushed the GOP aside. Now Williams is pushing back.
What Galbraith offers is in his own words, "An end to practicing the politics of retribution."
We had to ask about Fancy Farm - Galbraith plans to be there and be on the dais as a candidate.
"I've already got my speech written."