Last week, the voters of Kentucky’s State Senate district 2, centered on Paducah, re-elected independent State Senator Bob Leeper.  Leeper was first elected to the State Senate in 1990 as a Democrat, and re-elected as as Democrat in 1994 and 1998.  However, then he became a Republican and won as a Republican in 2002.  Then, he became an independent and was re-elected as an independent in 2006, and now he has again won re-election as an independent.

Many of his election races have been close.  This year he won a 3-person race with 46.3% of the vote.  His Democratic opponent, Rex Smith, received 43.8%, and his Republican opponent, William East, received 10.0%.  The 2006 election had been even closer:  he received 41.1%; his Democratic opponent, Carroll Hubbard, received 40.9%; his Republican opponent, Neil Archer, received 18.0%.

Leeper is chair of the Senate Budget Committee.