Local/Regional News

Ky gov candidate files residency challenge against former UN ambassador Kelly Craft

WUKY | By Josh James

Published May 1, 2023 at 3:16 PM EDT

FILE - Former United States ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft speaks to reporters before the start of the Kentucky Farm Bureau Ham Breakfast at the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville, Ky., Aug. 25, 2022. Craft set a fast pace for raising and spending campaign cash in late 2022, overtaking her Republican rivals in fundraising while pouring more than $1 million into her bid to become Kentucky's next governor, according to the latest campaign-finance reports. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, file)

Republican candidate for governor Eric Deters has filed a challenge to the residency of fellow candidate for governor, Kelly Craft. The suit comes as GOP gubernatorial hopefuls are set to debate on KET tonight.

In a preview of the sparks that could fly tonight as Deters, along with Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, Somerset Mayor Alan Keck, and frontrunners Daniel Cameron and Kelly Craft make a joint appearance on Kentucky Tonight.

Deters first laid out his plans to challenge Craft’s residency in a video posted online.

"It is better that we find out now rather than if, God forbid, she happens to be the nominee and the Republicans lose their nominee because of her residency issue," he said in the post.

But theLexington Herald-Leaderreports Deters’ case includes at least one inaccurate claim – that Craft, a former UN ambassador under former President Trump, only registered to vote in Fayette County in 2018. The Leader reports that’s incorrect and Craft registered in the county in 1991 and has owned a house in the Lexington neighborhood near the Henry Clay estate since 2000.

Craft’s campaign has said the candidate is a “lifelong Kentuckian.”

All eyes will likely be on the exchanges between Craft and current frontrunner Daniel Cameron in the KET roundtable Monday night, as they the two are running closer in the polls.