Lawmaker won't try to hold two state Senate seats at once

HARLAN, Ky. -- A state senator elected in a new district after his old district was taken away by gerrymandering says he has decided against trying to hold both seats at once.

Sen. Daniel Mongiardo, a Democrat from Hazard, said he plans to resign his current seat just before being sworn in to represent the 30th District, newly configured to contain Harlan, Perry, Bell and Leslie counties.

Legislators are elected to represent numerical districts. In every reapportionment, some incumbents find themselves living outside their districts.

Mongiardo is midway through a four-year term as senator from the 17th District, which originally was made up of Harlan, Bell and Perry counties. It now contains all or parts of Grant, Kenton, Owen and Scott counties.

Republicans who control the Senate tried to eliminate Mongiardo through redrawing of districts. Leslie County was added to the new district to make it more Republican. But Mongiardo filed for the new seat and defeated the Republican candidate, Rep. Johnnie L. Turner in November.

If he had lost, Mongiardo could have finished his original term, and he considered trying to hold onto the 17th District seat, anyway. But, "I don't think that it's fair for the people of the 17th District to be represented by someone who doesn't live in the district," Mongiardo said.

The Senate's new minority leader, Sen. Ed Worley of Richmond, said Mongiardo made a wise choice.

"You can't go into the Senate chamber and hold two seats. Senator Mongiardo knows that," Worley said. "This is a situation that has developed uniquely and it will be resolved."