FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Former White House aide and conservative commentator Scott Jennings will emcee the political speaking event at the Fancy Farm picnic in August.
Jennings was a special assistant to former Republican President George W. Bush. He is a founding partner of the Louisville-based RunSwitch PR firm and a contributing columnist for The Courier-Journal.
The Fancy Farm picnic is a fundraiser, held annually since 1880, for the St. Jerome Catholic Church. The picnic is the traditional start of the fall campaign season, where candidates for statewide office make speeches in front of a boisterous crowd.
The major contest at this year's event will likely be the U.S. Senate race between Republican Sen. Rand Paul and Democrat Jim Gray, the mayor of Lexington. Organizer Mark Wilson said he expects surrogates for the major presidential candidates to speak.