Mary Potter
Friday, April 8, 2016 11:35 am

The inarguably most highly sought out endorsement of the Kentucky First District Congressional campaign, that of the National Rifle Association (NRA), went to candidate James Comer.

The former agriculture commissioner is in a three way primary GOP contest for the seat being vacated by retiring Congressman Ed Whitfield. Other GOP candidates include Michael Pape, Whitfield's longtime district director, and Jason Batts, Hickman County attorney. Democrats are not fielding a candidate, so the May primary will determine the winner of the seat.

In a press release, Comer said, "As an avid sportsman and strong defender of the Constitution, I'm honored to receive the NRA endorsement. The NRA endorsement is the single biggest and most coveted endorsement in the entire Congressional race, and it will ensure that my overwhelming campaign momentum continues through May 17th."

There is no polling data available for this race. At the last fundraising reporting period, Pape had the most money followed closely by Comer with Batts following.

This is the first run for Pape of Hopkinsville who worked for Whitfield since he was first elected in 1994 . Batts won the job of Hickman County attorney in 2014.

The 35 county district stretches from the Bluegrass region to far western Kentucky.