Stumbo's close friend and former law partner, Mike Bowling told me tonight that Stumbo has committed to run with Lunsford. Bowling says the two men have been talking for some time. He says they did some polling, testing a Lunsford/Stumbo ticket and a Stumbo/Lunsford ticket and found the L/S ticket had a big lead in a crowded democratic field. Asked why Stumbo would consider being the number two man on the ticket, Bowling says the attorney general liked the thought of not raising money, letting Lunsford self-finance the race, and concentrating on issues instead of fundraising. Bowling says Stumbo believes other democrats will have trouble raising the money necessary to get their messages out in Kentucky's fractured media markets (Cincy, Louisville, Lex., Nashville, Evansville, Huntington, etc.) while Lunsford can afford to blanket the state.
As I reported in a previous post, Lunsford refused to confirm anything in a phone conversation with me tonight. And Greg Stotelmyer from WTVQ-TV in Lexington tells me his conversation with Stumbo was much the same. But Stumbo has called several folks in Louisville late today, telling them he's running for Lt. Governor and asking them to "keep their powder dry" if they haven't already committed to another candidate.

Kudos and thanks to Stotelmyer for being all over the Lunsford/Stumbo story in mid-afternoon and sharing information with me. He's one of the best reporters in Kentucky.