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  Bates, Hunter
CANDIDATE DETAILS
AffiliationRepublican  
 
NameHunter Bates
Address
Louisville, Kentucky , United States
EmailNone
WebsiteNone
Born Unknown
ContributorWishful Thinking
Last ModifedNone Entered
Jan 25, 2007 02:20pm
Tags
Info In early 2003, Hunter Bates was a rising Republican star. The youthful-looking protege to Sen. Mitch McConnell had gone from political operative to candidate for lieutenant governor.

Then came a lawsuit during the heat of the Republican gubernatorial primary challenging whether Bates met residency requirements because of his time in Washington, D.C., as a lawyer and McConnell aide.

An Oldham County judge ruled against Bates, and instead of appealing, the Harvard-educated lawyer dropped off the ticket with Ernie Fletcher - who went on to become Kentucky's first GOP governor in a generation.

Nineteen months later, Bates insists he doesn't dwell on the setback that denied him election to Kentucky's No. 2 office - now occupied by Steve Pence, who was Fletcher's choice as a replacement on the ticket.

"My view in life is that we should always look forward, not back, and that we should count the gains and not the losses," Bates said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

Bates, 36, has carved out a new life since then.

He works for a prestigious law firm in Louisville, Frost Brown Todd. He formed his own consulting business that represents some of Kentucky's largest corporate interests. He and his wife Jennifer are busy with their two children.

Fletcher appointed him to the board of regents at Eastern Kentucky University, where Bates got his undergraduate degree.

And he still is involved in politics.

He was a delegate at the recent Republican National Convention in New York City. He serves as statewide grass-roots chairman of the Bush-Cheney campaign. And he stood in for Fletcher as a member of the platform committee at the Republican convention.

Looking back on the court case that cost him the lieutenant governorship, Bates said it was his decision to quit the race.

"I believe that taking that issue up on multiple appeals was not in the best interest of Ernie Fletcher or in the best interest of Kentucky getting the right man as governor," Bates said. "And that was the only consideration I had."

Still, it was a time of anguish for Bates, a Whitley County native who had been chief of staff and campaign manager for McConnell.

One Sunday morning, his pregnant wife was served with a subpoena compelling her to testify at a hearing on the lawsuit. Bates said it was "probably the only time I got angry in the whole process."

Bates said that writing the withdrawal speech was "by far the most difficult professional decision I've ever had to make."

"But I had no second thoughts then, and I have no second thoughts now," he said. "It was the right thing to do, but just because it was right didn't make it easy."

Reflecting on the legal fight, Fletcher said recently that he was willing to appeal because the matter "was larger than just that race."

He said the court ruling could leave others who, like Bates spent time outside Kentucky, in limbo.

"At some point, I would hope that we get some sort of declaratory judgment on the residential requirements of a gubernatorial or lieutenant gubernatorial candidate because I think the ruling was wrong," Fletcher said.

"I don't think it was consistent with the intent of the constitution. But because of the political ramifications and the timing, it just wasn't possible that we continue to appeal that court case in Hunter's mind, and I think he was probably right."

McConnell said Bates, his political understudy, handled the situation "graciously and correctly."

"I think it was a very classy decision on his part to put the governor's race and our hopes for winning that over his own sort of short-term political advantage," McConnell said.

Fletcher said Bates' withdrawal amounted to an act of personal sacrifice that has "endeared him to people."

Bates said that once he was off the ballot, it was "a difficult transition" going from the fast pace of a statewide campaign to "figuring out where I was going next."

Bates said he holds no grudges about the lawsuit, which was filed by a University of Louisville student but joined - and largely taken over - by Bob Heleringer, running mate of Steve Nunn. They made up a rival slate in the 2003 Republican gubernatorial primary.

As for his future, Bates said he's "never had a political master plan," but doesn't rule out running for elective office again.

Both Fletcher and McConnell said Bates' future is bright. Fletcher said he would support Bates if he seeks office again.

"He realizes that you have to wait for the right timing and the right opportunity, and he has the patience to do that," Fletcher said.

McConnell said Bates will "be one of the top leaders of that generation for our party in the future. And I fully expect that we'll hear from him again."

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  05/20/2003 KY Lt. Governor - R Primary Won 57.35% (+29.54%)
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