On the Democratic side, Steve Henry is running. He's got a fundraiser scheduled for December 7th and tells me there's only "a 5% chance" he won't run. Those rumors about Steve staying out of the race and his Miss America wife, Heather French-Henry, running with Greg Stumbo, don't seem to be true. Sure, Henry still has the Medicaid ordeal to explain, and that isn't easy, but don't underestimate his strength in western Kentucky and his wife's appeal to voters.

Brereton Jones told me today (Sept. 28) that he won't run if Ben Chandler does. We've known that. But he also said he could "enthusiastically support" Crit Luallen for Governor, assuming she has a realistic chance of winning. If Chandler doesn't run, look for Jones and Chandler to agree on who to support. It may be Jones. Could be Luallen, if she runs. Henry says Jones would be an "unacceptable" candidate to him. The Patton-Henry folks weren't real happy with Jones when they took over his office.

Charlie Owen told folks several months ago that he was running. But I haven't heard that talk lately and haven't spoken with Owen in a couple of months.

On the Republican side, Steve Pence looks like he's backed off the idea of running for Governor. State Rep. James Comer of Tompkinsville wouldn't tell me whether Pence had approached him about being a running mate. Sen. Robert Stivers of Manchester laughed when I asked him, saying he hadn't heard that one. I was the first person who'd mentioned the idea of a Pence-Stivers ticket to him. And Rep. Jeff Hoover didn't return my call a couple of weeks ago.