Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour to Headline Williams Fundraiser

Kentucky Republican gubernatorial candidate David Williams has confirmed that Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour will be the keynote speaker at a summer fundraising event in Lexington.A former Republican National Committee chairman, Barbour was a rumored presidential candidate, but declined a bid for the White House in April.Barbour e has been described as one of the "all-time mega-lobbyists" in Washington while being criticized as being "outrageous and insensitive" on racial issues in his home state.“Gov. Barbour has been a great hands on governor, dealing with some of the toughest situations in his state’s history,” Williams said in a news release. “Kentucky needs a governor who shares Gov. Barbour’s commitment to conservative values. I admire his action-oriented leadership style and his willingness to take tough, principled stances. We look forward to having him in Kentucky for what is sure to be a great event.”Following the election results, political analysts questioned if Williams would be able to generate national support for his candidacy given his relative poor showing in the GOP primary Tuesday.Election results showed that Tea Party-backed candidate Phil Moffett beat Williams in the state’s two most populous counties and he finished about ten percent behind Williams statewide, despite a huge fundraising gap.The event featuring Governor Barbour is scheduled for June 16.