Free Republic

FRANKFORT — Kentucky Republicans didn't settle for Matt Bevin's win in the governor's race; the GOP scored a major upset with Mike Harmon defeating Democratic incumbent auditor Adam Edelen. Harmon, who was widely outspent, won 52 percent of the vote, throwing up a roadblock to Edelen's future ambitions, perhaps as a challenger next year to U.S. Sen. Rand Paul. Edelen is considered Kentucky Democrats' rising star and best politician, in the mold of populists like Wendell Ford. He ran on a strong record of exposing wasteful spending by special taxing districts, a former commissioner of agriculture and auditing public schools....

A super PAC supporting Auditor Adam Edelen’s re-election bid has released a Web ad using audio of an MSNBC segment lauding the incumbent Democrat’s speech at Fancy Farm this year. The two-minute video, titled “Big, Important Things,” features MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, on her Aug. 21 program, calling Edelen “the best southern Democratic politician I have seen speak at an event like this (Fancy Farm) since (former Texas Gov.) Ann Richards, since Bill Clinton in his prime.” The ad also includes portions of Edelen’s speech and footage of him at Fancy Farm events. Kentuckians for Honesty in Government released the video...