LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - A Republican lawmaker in Kentucky opened a candidates forum with a shocking announcement - she’s bowing out of politics after the “nastiest” legislative session in memory.
State Rep. Donna Mayfield opened the forum in her district Wednesday night by announcing her withdrawal from the May 22 primary election. A video shared on Facebook showed the Winchester lawmaker confessing she had lost her love for public service.
“This past legislative session has been the darkest, nastiest session,” she said.
She spoke of lawmakers receiving “threatening and profane” messages and said the “unacceptable behavior” had reached into her east-central Kentucky district.
“I do not want to be around the … heartless viciousness willfully carried out by so many people,” she said. “I no longer have room for this need in my family’s life.”
Acting House Speaker David Osborne said Thursday that he heard of “scores” of lawmakers who received threatening and profane messages. A handful of them reported acts of vandalism - including a slashed tire, a vehicle scratched with a key and damage from paint, he said.
“There was lots of anger during the session,” said Osborne, a Prospect Republican. “I wouldn’t want to speculate what motivated people to behave inappropriately.”
Osborne said a “large numbers” of the calls were traced to out-of-state numbers. He surmised it was possibly some out-of-state operatives “taking advantage of some unrest.”
Such actions targeting lawmakers “quieted down” since the legislative session ended, he said.
Lawmakers wrapped up their contentious session last month. It was marked by massive teacher protests at Kentucky’s Capitol in Frankfort over education funding and changes to one of the nation’s worst-funded pension systems. Mayfield voted for the pension changes.
Mayfield didn’t publicly blame any groups or individuals for the behavior. In a statement Thursday, the veteran lawmakers said: “The divisiveness and nastiness of our current political climate has become far too much for me to bear.”
Mayfield’s exit from the campaign means her only primary challenger, businessman Les Yates, will try to hold the 73rd District seat for Republicans. The district includes Clark and part of Madison counties. Two candidates are competing for the Democratic nomination.
Republicans are facing signs of an energized Democratic base this year as they try to defend their majority in the Kentucky House. The GOP took control of the chamber after their dominant showing in the 2016 election. Republicans also hold a big majority in the state Senate.
The GOP candidates’ part of the forum was cut short after Mayfield’s announcement. Yates then gave an opening and closing statement. “Really, what could I say?” he said Thursday.
“I was probably as shocked as everybody,” Yates said in a phone interview.
Yates said his years in business helped prepare him for politics, saying it made him “thicker skinned.” He said that experience made him realize “you can’t please everybody all the time.” But he said there’s a need for more civil political discourse.
“We’ve got to be able to talk to each other without the vile that comes out of people’s mouths sometimes,” he said.
Some in the audience clapped when Mayfield said she was withdrawing from the campaign. That response drew a stern rebuke Thursday from House Majority Floor Leader Jonathan Shell.
“Those people in that room started cheering and clapping and I’m just like, ’You just lost a great person representing you all and you are happy about it,’” said Shell, a Lancaster Republican. “You drove her to this.”
On Thursday, Mayfield pointed to what she considered her accomplishments in the House, which included “stabilizing and funding” public pension systems, improving adoption and foster care systems and putting restrictions on abortions.
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Associated Press Writer Adam Beam contributed to this report.
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