Indicted Kentucky Governor Fletcher (R) announced today that he has selected Finance Secretary Robbie Rudolph as his new running mate. Fletcher's current Lieutenant Governor, Steve Pence, announced this week that he would not seek re-election with Fletcher in the 2007 election. Fletcher's administration has suffered numerous setbacks in the wake of a political hiring scandal currently being investigate by the Attorney General. Fletcher was indicted last month on three misdemeanor charges stemming from the investigation. The naming of Rudolph is yet another effort by Fletcher to rally the base and improve his chances for re-election:
Moving quickly after being spurned by his lieutenant governor, Gov. Ernie Fletcher on Saturday announced that state Finance Secretary Robbie Rudolph will be his running mate in his 2007 re-election campaign.
Lt. Gov. Steve Pence, who announced this past week that he would not run again with Fletcher and refused Fletcher's request to resign, looked on as Fletcher introduced Rudolph as his next running mate to an enthusiastic crowd of Republicans.
"I'm absolutely honored to be with my friend, Ernie Fletcher," Rudolph told members of the state Republican Central Committee during a meeting that capped a volatile week in Republican politics.
[...]
"I'm very excited about running and I've got the fire in the belly to do it and we're going to get it done," Fletcher told reporters after his speech.
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
