United States Senate election in Kentucky, 1992

United States Senate election in Kentucky, 1992
Kentucky
November 3, 1992
 
Nominee Wendell Ford David L. Williams
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 836,888 476,604
Percentage 62.9% 35.8%
U.S. Senator before election

Wendell Ford
Democratic

 Elected U.S. Senator

Wendell Ford
Democratic

The 1992 United States Senate election in Kentucky took place on November 3, 1992. It was concurrent with elections to the United States House of Representatives. Incumbent Democratic U.S Senator Wendell Ford won re-election to a fourth term.

Republican primary

Candidates

Campaign

Denny Ormerod, a machinist from Louisville dropped out before the primary election.[1] Though Williams and Thompson represented opposing factions in the state Republican Party – Williams managed Larry Hopkins' 1991 primary campaign while Thompson worked full-time for Hopkins' primary opponent Larry Forgy – the two virtually ignored each other in the primary campaign, choosing instead to focus their rhetoric against Ford.[1] Thompson did question Williams' conservative credentials on grounds that he voted in favor of the tax increase associated with the Kentucky Education Reform Act.[1] Ormerod's campaign largely focused on socially conservative issues, but it was Williams who secured the endorsement of Kentucky Right to Life, who cited his lawsuit to free three anti-abortion bills from committee in the 1992 legislative session.[1] As a result of the largely uninspiring primary campaigns, there was only an 18% voter turnout in the Republican primary. Williams won the nomination.[2]

Results

Republican primary results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican David Williams 49,880 60.9
Republican Phillip Thompson 25,026 30.5
Republican Denny Ormerod 7,066 8.6

General election

Candidates

Campaign

Ford, the Senate Majority Whip and a former governor, raised $2.4 million for his campaign, about eight times the amount Williams raised.[4] Given his limited finances, Williams relied on news conferences and interviews on small town radio stations to get his message out.[4] Williams repeatedly lamented that Ford would not agree to a formal debate; Ford said that could not be arranged because Congress was still in session and he needed to be in Washington.[5] During the campaign, Williams attempted to paint Ford as too liberal for Kentucky voters, citing his votes against the Gulf War and Clarence Thomas' confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court.[6] Both candidates declared their support for a Balanced Budget Amendment, but Williams said that Ford's support of pork barrel projects for the state and a procedural vote that kept the amendment from a vote in 1991 were evidence that Ford's support was not genuine.[6]

Results

Ford had no trouble winning on election night. Ford won easily, despite the fact that fellow Democrat Bill Clinton was declared the winner of the presidential race in Kentucky until around 10:00 E.S.T. Ford pulled big margins out of the majority of Kentucky's 124 counties. This would be Ford's last term in the senate. He served his final term from January 3, 1993, to January 3, 1999. Ford died some fifteen years after his retirement at the age of 90.

General election results[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic Wendell H. Ford (Incumbent) 836,888 62.9%
Republican David L. Williams 476,604 35.8%
Libertarian James A. Ridenour 17,366 1.3

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Straub, "GOP Candidates: Ford Ripe Target as Incumbent"
  2. ↑ Straub, "Campaign '92: Primary Results"
  3. ↑ http://www.elect.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/8A101B6D-0DD6-4730-9524-10CDED792DCC/0/USSenate.pdf
  4. 1 2 Gibson, "Election Results 1992"
  5. ↑ Straub, "Williams Jabs Ford on Legislative Record"
  6. 1 2 Straub, "Campaign '92: U.S. House and Senate"
  7. ↑ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=3489
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