Frankfort gets some Hart

    While some complain that politicians in D. C. and Frankfort don’t have enough heart in their decision making, the Kentucky House of Reprsentatives will continue to have Hart in the 78th District seat. Mark Hart that is.
    “Last night was a historic night! I am honored to return to Frankfort and to continue to represent everyone in the Ky. House of Representatives,” Hart told Falmouth Outlook.
    The Pendleton County native was elected to his third term and with no Democrat on the ballot to challenge him, it was an easy road for him to travel for reelection.
    He received 5,257 votes in Pendleton County and unofficially 5,257 in Harrison County and 2,076 in Scott County. He beat Libertarian James Toller.
    I am humbled by all the support I have received and extremely proud of the confidence the 78th House District has shown in me,” Hart said.
    In 2014. he had originally lost to Tom McKee, 6,519-5,550 for the seat before defeating the longtime Democrat holder of the seat 9,035-7,562 in2016. Last election in 2018, he defeated Harrison County lawyer Greg Coulson 8,192-5,574.
    This race, the 14,385 votes cast for Hart was the most during his four campaigns for the office.
    Hart will return to a House that saw the Republican Party expand their supermajority even more.
    The GOP picked up enough seats to hold 75 of the 100 seats, according to the Associated Press.
    “The governor didn’t have a good night,” said Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester. “He went out and put his name on the line endorsing candidates that lost, including Amy McGrath. Places that they have won in the past, they lost. It was a pretty overwhelming statement that this commonwealth thinks the legislature should be Republican.”
    The Republicans also increased their hold of the Senate chamber’s 38 seats with 30 Republicans serving.
    “Kentucky Republicans had a great election night, and in the Kentucky State Senate, we will be adding two new members to the Senate Republican Caucus. One pickup was accomplished by defeating a long serving Democrat in Eastern Kentucky and another gain was an open seat that had been held for years by former Governor Julian Carrol. Both wins show the Republican Party’s continued strength in rural Kentucky,” said District 24 Kentucky Senatore Wil Schroder that represents Pendleton County.
    The numbers give the Republican Party the ability to override any veto from the office of Democrat Governor Andy Beshear.
    That is an important aspect of the upcoming General Assembly as a budget must be passed.
    A two-year budget was to be passed in 2020 but with the uncertainty of revenues because of the Covid-19 virus, a one-year budget was passed. Frankfort will take up the two-year budget in the General Assembly scheduled to start on January 5, 2021. The first four days will focus on organizational work and when introduction and consideration of legislation can also begin.
    The second part of session begins on Febuary 2, 2021 with final adjournment scheduled for March 30, 2021. After going to their home districts on March 17, 2021 for veto recess, the legislators will return to Frankfort on that last day of March 30 to consider any legislation vetoed by Governor Beshear.