Ben Chandler

Recount Possible In Key Kentucky House Race

Brian Beutler | November 2, 2010, 8:49PM

Rep. Ben Chandler (D-KY)

A quick update from DNC headquarters.

With over 80 percent of precincts reporting, incumbent Dem Ben Chandler in Kentucky's sixth congressional district is holding on to a razor thin lead over his Republican opponent Andy Barr. With over 80 percent of districts reporting, Chandler enjoys a 500 vote margin. This is a seat Dems regard as a bellwether, and at least one Dem source suggests it will likely end in the recount.

2010 elections

TPM's Top 10 House Races To Watch

Christina Bellantoni | September 13, 2010, 8:37AM

Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner

It might be a painful night for House Democrats on November 2. Most analysts are predicting a Republican takeover of the House, with as many as 80 or so seats in play, and the GOP only needing to win 39 to seize back control. The TPM Poll Average shows voters nationwide prefer generic Congressional Republican candidates over Democrats 47.3%-40.7%.

Many of the Democrats who won in the Obama 2008 tidal wave are the most vulnerable, and the Democrats who captured Bush-won districts in 2006 aren't breathing much easier. But Democrats see glimmers of hope in open seats, and may win some of their own.

TPM chose 10 House races to watch this fall. They will be competitive, likely entertaining, and are bellwethers to help determine whether the nation sees Speaker Pelosi or Speaker Boehner at the dais come January.

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Ben Chandler

Flashback: Blue Dog Ben Chandler Spoke Of 'Chickens For Checkups' Last November!

Eric Kleefeld | July 27, 2010, 3:51PM

Rep. Ben Chandler (D-KY)

It turns out that former Nevada Senate Republican candidate Sue Lowden, who lost her primary June 8 after a phenomenal self-destruction known as "Chickens For Checkups," was not the first politician to voice a nostalgic approval for the days when people would pay a doctor by bartering live poultry. As it turns out, that "honor" goes to Rep. Ben Chandler (D-KY), a Blue Dog who voted against health care reform, in some newly-revealed video from November 2009.

As Greg Sargent reports, the video shows a woman who opposed the bill, speaking positively about how her family would pay for their own health care when she was younger. "They didn't have any kind of health insurance, they went to the doctor, and we paid for the call," the woman told Chandler.

Chandler then responded positively: "When you didn't have money, you gave him a chicken. You could barter if you didn't have enough money."

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