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59 4 The Kentucky Executive Branch Kendra B. Stewart and Thomas M. Martin The second most powerful man in the United States, after the President of the United States, is the Governor of Kentucky. —Attributed to Ed Prichard, 1970s Since the early days of the Commonwealth, the Kentucky executive branch has been riddled with assassination, political scandal, and even a coup d’état. This chapter will explore both the institutional and personal aspects of the evolution of the Kentucky executive branch. The state has witnessed changes in organization, mission, and capacity of this important branch of government over the past hundred years. First, the electoral process and the political aspects of the state’s chief executive officer will be analyzed. Next, this chapter examines the roles, functions, and powers (both formal and informal) of the Commonwealth’s governor through a comparative perspective that identifies the similarities and differences between Kentucky’s executive and that of other states. An often overlooked aspect of state government, the bureaucracy, will be introduced through an organizational and political perspective. Finally, after perspectives from a series of in-depth interviews with past governors and other lawmakers , this chapter brings to life the reality of how the Kentucky governor’s office actually operates. The overarching question will be how all these players work together to wield the power of the state’s executive branch of government. Electing the Governor The first governor of Kentucky was elected in 1792 by electors chosen by the state senate. A second constitution was written and adopted just seven years later that provided for popular election of the governor and lieutenant governor. Over the next century two more constitutions were adopted. The fourth constitution, adopted in 1891, is the constitution under which the state operates today. The past several decades have witnessed increasing significance in the chief executive position in the fifty 60 State and Local Institutions states. The twentieth century also demonstrated the importance of the governor’s office as a launching pad for the White House. These two factors have led to greater interest and competition in seeking this statewide office. In general, the race for governor is the most competitive in a state, and Kentucky is no exception. Nationwide, governors are almost twice as likely to lose their reelection campaigns as U.S. senators. In both incumbent and open-seat elections, the race for the top seat in the state is more likely to be hard fought than a Senate election.1 The office of governor is at the top of the power structure and is highly sought after because of the recognition it provides to the officeholder. The citizens of a state are more likely to recognize their governor than either of their U.S. senators.2 Qualifications To be eligible for the office of governor in Kentucky, a candidate must be at least thirty years of age and a citizen and resident of the state for at least six years. Until 1992 governors were ineligible to run for reelection for at least four years. The state constitution was amended at that time to allow governors to run for a second consecutive term. The only other limitation on holding this office is an anachronistic one that applies to all state offices in Kentucky and forbids anyone from holding office who has “either directly or indirectly, give[n], accept[ed] or knowingly carr[ied] a challenge to any person or persons to fight in single combat, with a citizen of this State, with a deadly weapon, either in or out of the State” (Kentucky Constitution of 1891, Section 239). On taking office even today, the governor must swear in the oath of office to have not partaken in a duel of any nature. The American governorship is an office dominated by white men, and this is the case in the Bluegrass State as well. All but one of the fifty-seven Kentucky governors have been men, and all have been white. In general, this is a well-educated, politically connected, and wealthy group of individuals. See appendix A for a list of Kentucky’s governors, their terms, and their political party affiliation. The Election Process Kentucky is one of only five states that hold gubernatorial elections in odd-numbered years, when there is no other national election taking place. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected on the same ticket, which is a recent phenomenon. According to Penny Miller, succession saves tax dollars and eliminates transition costs while...

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