Belcher to unions: 'You are fantastic'
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first in a series of articles on the Working People's Day of Action in Louisville Saturday.
By BERRY CRAIG
AFT Local 1360
Linda Belcher’s victory lap included a pit stop at Saturday’s Working People’s Day of Action rally at the UAW 862 hall in Louisville.
“I think I’m living proof that if we stand united, if we work together, we can be successful,” the newly-elected state representative told the crowd of union members and their families and friends.
Belcher is taking back her old House District 49 seat in Bullitt County. She is expected to be sworn in Tuesday.
From Shepherdsville, the county seat, Belcher rolled up 68 percent of the vote to 32 percent for Republican Rebecca Johnson. She sought to succeed her husband, Republican Dan Johnson, who took his own life in December.
“We had a very tough campaign last time, so I was really worried about it this time,” Belcher confessed before she addressed the crowd.
In the Trump tsunami of 2016, the Democrats lost 17 seats, including Belcher’s. The GOP claimed a majority in the General Assembly’s lower chamber for the first time since 1921.
Dan Johnson edged her by 156 votes. Labor-endorsed Belcher beat his widow by 1,825 votes.
Kentucky State AFL-CIO President Bill Londrigan claimed “a little point of personal privilege” to introduce her. The crowd cheered and applauded Belcher’s arrival and departure at the weighty wooden podium emblazoned with a big bronze-hued UAW seal.
“Right now, I am so excited because I feel like a big part of our win came because labor came out and supported me,” she also said before she took the stage. “I’ve always supported labor and now they have had my back, and I just want to thank every one of them who worked so hard to support me.”
She did as she promised. “I could not have done it without labor,” she told the gathering, which cheered, whistled, clapped and waved signs as she and other speakers came and went. “You all are fantastic, and the last thing I want to say is, ‘You have my back. I expect to have yours.'”
Based on the crowd response, unions indeed have her back.
“If you are in Frankfort, my door is always open,” she smiled as she exited stage right. “Stop by and see me.”
Belcher will boost the Democratic minority to 37. The GOP holds 62 seats, with one open seat to be filled in another special election Tuesday.
Labor-endorsed Democrat Kelly Smith of Berea will battle Republican Robert Goforth of East Bernstadt in the heavily GOP 89th District, which encompasses Jackson County and parts of Laurel and Madison counties.
Belcher has no opposition the May 22 Democratic primary.
Johnson, from Mt. Washington, will square off against Thomas Huff of Shepherdsville in the GOP primary. The winner will likely face Belcher on Nov. 6, though independents have until April 2 to jump into legislative races.
“It sure will be nice to see Linda up there instead of what we had,” Londrigan announced as Belcher headed offstage to collect more handshakes, hugs and well-wishes. “She’s going to do great work for us, brothers and sisters.”
The Louisville rally was one of several Working People's Day of Action events nationwide.
“The main focus of our rally is to stand against the war on working people, which includes the attempt by Gov. Bevin to gut public pensions, the repeal of prevailing wage, so-called ‘right to work’ and the attacks on public education, which include establishing charter schools,” said Tim Morris, a spokesperson for the Greater Louisville Central Labor Council, which supported the rally.