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Articles by Bruce Maples
The Wrap for Friday, 11/6
Bruce Maples has been involved in politics and activism since 2004, when he became active in the Kerry Kentucky movement. (Read the rest of his bio on the Bruce Maples Bio page in the bottom nav bar.) Facebook Website Louisville, KY
The Wrap for Wednesday, 11/4
Bruce Maples has been involved in politics and activism since 2004, when he became active in the Kerry Kentucky movement. (Read the rest of his bio on the Bruce Maples Bio page in the bottom nav bar.) Facebook Website Louisville, KY
Here’s the flips in the Lege
By now you know that the Blue Tsunami rolled over the political landscape last night, taking safe Republican seats with it as it went. In red state after red state, Dems won seats that no one gave them any chance of winning. Except here in Kentucky. We had our moments, chief among them seeing Zach Dembo grab Andy Barr’s old seat in the U.S. House. Dembo is the real deal, as far as I can tell; I suspect he may have a long career as an elected.
The headlines tell it all
I could write hundreds of words to try to capture the historic outcome of this election, but instead I’m going to simply share some headlines, followed by some of the more notable and amazing results.
The Wrap for Election Eve
Notes from Bruce I started to create an Election Tracker document that you could use as you watch the returns tomorrow night – but then I decided that only a few politics nerds like myself would use it, so I stopped. So, if you want me to keep it simple, here goes: The Dems need to net four seats in the U.S. House to take the majority. Unless the polling has been a complete disaster, they should do that easily. If the Blue Wave actually turns into a tsunami, they could net 20+ seats or more.
Sixty dangerous days
November 3rd, 2026. Election Day. Finally. All the hard work, all the door knocking, all the phone banking, all the money – all so we can wake up the day after Election Day to find Democrats in charge of the U.S. House, and maybe even the Senate. All so we can begin to take back our democracy. All so there can be consequences for the perpetrators, and the first steps back to an America based on the Constitution and the rule of law.
Your weekly update and story list
Bruce Maples has been involved in politics and activism since 2004, when he became active in the Kerry Kentucky movement. (Read the rest of his bio on the Bruce Maples Bio page in the bottom nav bar.) Facebook Website Louisville, KY
Charles Booker: our Rot Remover
“A union member voting Republican would be like a rabbit voting for hunting season to open,” the late Machinists union officer, longtime state legislator, and labor secretary J.R. Gray of Benton once told me. J.R. was a Democrat. But let the record show that (A) Democrats are a heckuva lot more likely to back unions and union positions than Republicans are, and (B) unions endorse candidates based on their support for unions, not their party label.
The Wrap for Wednesday, 10/28
Notes from Bruce All signs point to the cake being pretty well baked at this point. In just a few days we’ll find out whether it tastes rancid, acceptable, delicious, or delicious with a cherry on top. (I’m pulling for the latter, of course.) Lots of attention being paid to the Dembo/Alvarado race, since it may be called fairly early, and could point at what is coming across the rest of the country.
Why Muhlenberg and Butler should vote for Chris Waddell
Chris Waddell spent years perfecting his wrestling moves, yet as of late it’s been his magic out of the ring that’s turning local ballots blue. His campaign for state representative in District 15 — Muhlenberg and Butler counties — has continued to gain traction among former naysayers, thanks in no small part to his dauntless work ethic and deep commitment to his community. What Muhlenberg County voters get in Waddell is exactly what they’ve lost with Rep.
The Wrap for Monday, 10/26
Bruce Maples has been involved in politics and activism since 2004, when he became active in the Kerry Kentucky movement. (Read the rest of his bio on the Bruce Maples Bio page in the bottom nav bar.) Facebook Website Louisville, KY
Your weekly story list
Bruce Maples has been involved in politics and activism since 2004, when he became active in the Kerry Kentucky movement. (Read the rest of his bio on the Bruce Maples Bio page in the bottom nav bar.) Facebook Website Louisville, KY
The election story no one is writing about
Whenever reporters and analysts talk about voters in Kentucky, the always focus on the number of registered Democrats versus the number of registered Republicans. And yes, Republicans have grown their numbers past the Dems over the past few years (although Dems out-gained recently). But here’s the group that almost no one mentions: Everyone who isn’t registered as a Repub or a Dem.
The Wrap for Monday, 10/19
Bruce Maples has been involved in politics and activism since 2004, when he became active in the Kerry Kentucky movement. (Read the rest of his bio on the Bruce Maples Bio page in the bottom nav bar.) Facebook Website Louisville, KY
Eight reasons not to vote for a Republican
When I started voting and paying attention to politics many years ago, the Republican party stood for some core principles (or so they said). While you might disagree with them on policy, you knew that, for the most part, they were ethical public servants trying to make the nation stronger and better. That party is gone – and has been gone for some time, most specifically since 2016.
Misleading anti-Dembo ad misuses WinCity Voices reporting
I don’t like admitting it, but I was wrong, and Mitch McConnell was right. As a young newspaper editor, I had arrogantly asked the senator in private if the only thing he wanted to be remembered for was opposing campaign finance reform. The issue was the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, sponsored by Sens. John McCain and Russ Feingold. One of its provisions was a ban on unlimited soft money contributions to national party committees.
Your weekly update
Bruce Maples has been involved in politics and activism since 2004, when he became active in the Kerry Kentucky movement. (Read the rest of his bio on the Bruce Maples Bio page in the bottom nav bar.) Facebook Website Louisville, KY
The Wrap for Thursday, 10/15
Bruce Maples has been involved in politics and activism since 2004, when he became active in the Kerry Kentucky movement. (Read the rest of his bio on the Bruce Maples Bio page in the bottom nav bar.) Facebook Website Louisville, KY
Weekly story list
Bruce Maples has been involved in politics and activism since 2004, when he became active in the Kerry Kentucky movement. (Read the rest of his bio on the Bruce Maples Bio page in the bottom nav bar.) Facebook Website Louisville, KY
ForwardKY readers feeling good about upcoming election
About a week ago, I posted a poll asking how many seats Dems would flip in the Kentucky House in this year’s election. I reminded everyone that Dems were only challenging 38 seats held by Republicans, so that limited the number that could flip. I also pointed out that in most of the races, the Repub had way more cash on hand than the Dem. Didn’t matter. Our readers think it’s going to be a good night for the Blue Team. Obviously, if Dems flip 5 or more, that would be a significant election.
The Wrap for Thursday, 10/8
Bruce Maples has been involved in politics and activism since 2004, when he became active in the Kerry Kentucky movement. (Read the rest of his bio on the Bruce Maples Bio page in the bottom nav bar.) Facebook Website Louisville, KY
Our first endorsement
When I founded Forward Kentucky ten years ago, one of the reasons I chose to be a for-profit LLC was so we could do endorsements, like any newspaper. I soon figured out, though, that doing endorsements in primaries could damage our relationship with leaders and readers, and in the general we almost always supported the Democrat, so it seemed somewhat pointless.
The Wrap for Tuesday, 10/6
Bruce Maples has been involved in politics and activism since 2004, when he became active in the Kerry Kentucky movement. (Read the rest of his bio on the Bruce Maples Bio page in the bottom nav bar.) Facebook Website Louisville, KY
Poll: How many seats will Dems flip in the KY House?
So, I put my predictions out there over the weekend. Now it’s YOUR turn. Simply click the number of seats in the Kentucky House that will flip from Republican to Democrat in this year’s midterms. Some things to remember: There are 38 Repub seats with a Dem challenger. There is a nationwide swing toward Democrats. Kentucky has been very red over the past decade. So, what do you think? Poll closes on Thursday evening. Got comments as well? Put them down below.
Weekly Update – and some KY House predictions
Bruce Maples has been involved in politics and activism since 2004, when he became active in the Kerry Kentucky movement. (Read the rest of his bio on the Bruce Maples Bio page in the bottom nav bar.) Facebook Website Louisville, KY
Will Dems flip any seats in the KY House?
As many of you know, I’m a data and numbers nerd. So, when I started hearing actual numbers thrown around about the “swing to Democrats” across the nation, I thought it would be interesting to apply those numbers to our House races. I built a spreadsheet (of course), then loaded up the data, threw some formulas against the data, and discovered some possible flips for Dems in this year’s midterms. If you want to know more, you need to watch the video below.
The Wrap for Friday, 10/2
Bruce Maples has been involved in politics and activism since 2004, when he became active in the Kerry Kentucky movement. (Read the rest of his bio on the Bruce Maples Bio page in the bottom nav bar.) Facebook Website Louisville, KY
The Wrap for Thursday, 10/1
Bruce Maples has been involved in politics and activism since 2004, when he became active in the Kerry Kentucky movement. (Read the rest of his bio on the Bruce Maples Bio page in the bottom nav bar.) Facebook Website Louisville, KY
What a year for KY Dems to miss the boat
If you follow political news even a little bit, you know that this year’s midterms are shaping up to be good year for the Democratic party. A really good year. A really, really good year. As in, taking back both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate. And winning multiple governor’s races. And even taking control of multiple state legislatures. But given a chance to join this historic nation-wide electoral tide, Kentucky Democrats yawned and said “We’ll pass.” Think I’m being overly critical?
Late-Sunday newsletter
Bruce Maples has been involved in politics and activism since 2004, when he became active in the Kerry Kentucky movement. (Read the rest of his bio on the Bruce Maples Bio page in the bottom nav bar.) Facebook Website Louisville, KY
The Wrap for Thursday, 9/24
Bruce Maples has been involved in politics and activism since 2004, when he became active in the Kerry Kentucky movement. (Read the rest of his bio on the Bruce Maples Bio page in the bottom nav bar.) Facebook Website Louisville, KY
The Wrap for Tuesday, 9/22
Bruce Maples has been involved in politics and activism since 2004, when he became active in the Kerry Kentucky movement. (Read the rest of his bio on the Bruce Maples Bio page in the bottom nav bar.) Facebook Website Louisville, KY
Dembo campaign says AI used in Trump-linked PAC attack ad
A Trump-linked political action committee (PAC) appears to have improperly used artificial intelligence in an attack ad against Zach Dembo, the Democrat running in central Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District, according to the Dembo campaign. According to a memo shared with FOX 56 News, the campaign believed the PAC distorted photos from Dembo’s website and Instagram page, as well as independent news coverage, to generate the AI video used in the attack ad.
The Wrap for Monday, 9/21
Bruce Maples has been involved in politics and activism since 2004, when he became active in the Kerry Kentucky movement. (Read the rest of his bio on the Bruce Maples Bio page in the bottom nav bar.) Facebook Website Louisville, KY
Two important changes
This newsletter is sponsored by Joe Graviss, who encourages all of us to remember this updated version of the Serenity Prayer: God, grant me the patience to work with the unjust systems I cannot change today; the courage to strategically enact progress when I know I can; and the wisdom to know that despite structural oppression, I can still make a difference. Amen. Interested in becoming a sponsor? Go here to learn more.
Hey KY House Dems – someone stole your website
At one time, the Democratic caucus in the Kentucky House of Representatives had their own website. Not any more. An Indonesian company now owns “KyHouseDems.com” and is using it to redirect people to an online gambling site. Whoops. Some background We’ve got to get a bit technical here, to explain what has happened. Before you can have a website, you have to have a domain name that is unique. And you have to register that domain name with an official registrar.
The Wrap for Tuesday, 9/15
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Our press freedoms are in the toilet
Since 2002, Reporters Without Borders has done an annual rating of freedom of the press by country. And the results for the United States are disturbing. The rating is based on a survey of journalists around the world, along with events in each country that affected press freedom. In 2002, the best rating for press freedom was a tie among Finland, Iceland, Norway, and the Netherlands, with Canada just behind. That year, the United States was 17th, right behind Costa Rica and just ahead of Hong Kong.
Your weekly update
Bruce Maples has been involved in politics and activism since 2004, when he became active in the Kerry Kentucky movement. (Read the rest of his bio on the Bruce Maples Bio page in the bottom nav bar.) Facebook Website Louisville, KY
WARNING: Do not use, or even visit, Votesafe.org!
As you visit votesafe.org: Your street address is sent to Facebook and Google. Your name, email, phone number, ZIP code, and date of birth are sent to America PAC’s server that feeds Facebook’s ad-matching system, which uses them to identify your Facebook and Instagram accounts. The site sends your contact details to Google’s ad system.
The Wrap for Thursday, 9/10
Notes from Bruce When I think about our elections for federal office (president, Senate, House), I usually feel just despair. It seems highly unlikely, or even impossible, that Kentucky could have more than one Democrat among our six Congress-folk and two senators. And yet, that despair may be lifting. First of all, I think Zach Dembo has a real shot at flipping KY-06. Alvarado is a flawed candidate (among other things), and Dembo is running a really good campaign.
The Wrap for Friday, 9/4
Bruce Maples has been involved in politics and activism since 2004, when he became active in the Kerry Kentucky movement. (Read the rest of his bio on the Bruce Maples Bio page in the bottom nav bar.) Facebook Website Louisville, KY
Mild-mannered and cautious election guru predicting GOP Armageddon
Longtime election analyst Charlie Cook has a piece up on his Substack looking at the fast-approaching midterms. It’s an interesting piece, an artifact of the moment, not simply because of what it predicts but because of the nature of the writing in which Cook seems to be grasping for metaphors about just how bad a situation Republicans face — a bit more stream of consciousness and performance art than one is used to in election analysis.
The Wrap for Wednesday, 8/2
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Have the leopards eaten YOUR face?
There’s a famous tweet from the first time Donald Trump ran for president that perfectly captures both the absurdity of voting for him and the GOP in general, AND the regret that comes when you realize what you did: So here we are, over a decade later and into a second Trump term, and the leopards are eating pretty much everyone’s faces. Farmers – How’s the cost of fertilizer, with Trump’s tariffs? And speaking of tariffs: Are you selling as much as you were under Biden?
The Democrats’ Big Beautiful Bill
Now that we are drowning in the effects of Trump and his ironically-named “Big Beautiful Bill,” it is easy to forget that President Biden and the Democrats passed their own BBB. It was called the Inflation Reduction Act, and was passed in 2022.
Events, notes, and this week’s stories
Notes from Bruce We’re growing! We’ve had about 50 new Friend (free) members in the past month. That’s awesome! Plus, we continue to get feedback on how much people value the work we do. Thanks to all for being a member! Also, I’ve noticed that our Activism Calendar is getting more traffic each month. If you are a member of a group (local party or other) that actually does things, be sure to submit your events at the top of the calendar.
Dear elected Republicans: Grow a spine. Now.
Let me be clear, right up front: You could have prevented this. You could have prevented all of this. Early in his first term, he started breaking the norms and breaking the laws. He started his grift (which has never stopped). He attacked our allies. He cozied up to Putin and Russia. And yet, you did nothing. He separated families. He put children in cages, away from their parents, and refused to reunite them.
Here is what climate change looks like
Bruce Maples has been involved in politics and activism since 2004, when he became active in the Kerry Kentucky movement. (Read the rest of his bio on the Bruce Maples Bio page in the bottom nav bar.) Facebook Website Louisville, KY
The Wrap for Friday, 8/28
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