This is a big deal for Louisville. That’s why we’re re-posting it here.

Since no one else in the media can will be bothered to dig in to the County Employees’ Retirement System (CERS) election, we guess it’s left up to us. (That should terrify you – that it’s just us half-guarding the hen house)

Highlights:

• Betty Pendergrass, a CPA and probably the most qualified candidate, got the most votes.
• Union-supported candidates came in second, third and fourth.
• Ed Davis, a retired police officer, only finished in second place because he had name ID and was elected eight years ago.
• David Rich, a retired firefighter, pulled the third spot.
• KEA’s candidate, Helen Cottongim, came in fourth
• Governor Steve Beshear’s two candidates rightfully lost hard
• Vince Lang, a lobbyist and two-term incumbent, lost
• Rick Johnstone, Jerry Abramson’s guy and longtime Louisville meddler, came in dead last

Let’s take a look at vote totals, according to Dean Dorton Allen Ford:

• Betty Anne Pendergrass — 11,653
• Edwin Arvie Davis — 9,746
• David Warren Rich — 9,268
• Helen Louise Gottongim — 5,381
• Vince Lang — 4,706
• Richard Neil Johnstone — 3,766
• Various write-in candidates — 59

So, the moral of this story: the good old boy network backed by Steve Beshear is finally getting its rear end handed to it. It’s a sign that CERS very well could be closer to divorcing Kentucky Retirement Systems than it would have been if the Beshear-Abramson folks had won.