Daniel Mongiardo
Encyclopedia
Frank Daniel Mongiardo is an American
physician
and politician from Kentucky
. Mongiardo is a Democrat
and has been Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
since 2007. He was a member of the Kentucky State Senate
from 2001 to 2007. He also ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004, narrowly losing in the general election to Jim Bunning
and again in 2010, losing in the primary election to Jack Conway
.
immigrants
in Hazard, Kentucky
. His father Jimmy owns a whiskey store and coin laundry and his mother Katherine died in 1988 of colon cancer. Mongiardo attended Transylvania University
and received his medical degree
at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine
in 1986. From 1986 to 2000, Mongiardo worked as an ear, nose and throat surgeon, performing his residency
in Lexington
. Mongiardo helped open a free health clinic and became chief of staff at the Hazard Appalachian Hospital. He entered politics in 2000 and was elected to the state senate, after defeating incumbent Glenn Freeman in an expensive and bitter Democratic primary with 49.1 percent of the vote and then winning the general election with 70 percent of the vote.
Mongiardo was reelected to a redrawn district in 2002 that covers Bell
, Harlan
, Leslie
and Perry
counties with 65.6 percent of the vote. In this campaign Mongiardo argued his opponent Johnnie L. Turner had used images of Mohamed Atta
in a television advertisement to compare Atta to him. In the Kentucky Senate
Mongiardo worked to bring water projects to his district, pressed for legislation to establish an electronic medical network, and voted against a constitutional amendment that would allow the legislature to limit the payment of punitive damages in medical malpractice cases. Mongiardo continued his private practice and married Allison Patrick in Covington, Kentucky
in 2008. Their first child, Katherine, was born on December 22, 2009.
, a former Major League Baseball
player. He won the primary election with 64.9 percent of the vote and made health care his top campaign priority. Although early polls showed Mongiardo at a significant disadvantage against Bunning, who had more name recognition and campaign funds, Mongiardo was able to make large gains on account of several missteps committed by Bunning and other Kentucky Republicans
, including Bunning's admission not to have read newspapers articles on the Iraq war and claims made against Mongiardo regarding his staff's violence against Bunning's wife, his sexual preference, and his physical likeness to Saddam Hussein's sons, for the last of which Bunning later apologized. Mongiardo responded with statements about his co-sponsorship of a constitutional amendment
banning same-sex marriage in Kentucky and his intent to vote in favor of a Federal Marriage Amendment
, and he argued that Bunning was removed from the interests of families. Mongiardo gained support from national Democratic organizations, but lost the bitterly contested election 49.3 percent to 50.7 percent. Monigardo was ahead with as much as 80 percent of the returns in. However, the western portion of the state broke strongly for Bunning, providing the ultimate margin of victory.
Former Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Steve Beshear
chose Mongiardo as his running mate for the 2007 gubernatorial election in Kentucky; they won the Democratic primary election on May 22, 2007 with 41 percent of the vote against several tickets, including Bruce Lunsford
and Greg Stumbo
, and Steve Henry and Renee True, and with enough votes to avoid a June runoff. Beshear-Mongiardo were elected over incumbent Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher
on November 6, 2007, winning with 58.7 percent of the state vote. Mongiardo did not risk losing his seat in the state senate because Kentucky holds its constitutional officer elections in odd years.
In September 2008, Mongiardo claimed that some rural voters would not support Barack Obama
because of unfamiliarity with Obama, ignorance or race. Mongiardo had endorsed Obama, who had supported him in the 2004 U.S. Senate election. Republican Kentucky State Senate President David L. Williams
demanded Mongiardo apologize. Mongiardo argued that if Williams suggested racism was not an issue, he was "out of touch."
seat currently held by incumbent Jim Bunning. Mongiardo called for Bunning to withdraw from reelection, questioning his ability to represent the state because of controversial statements made about the health of U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
and Bunning's reportedly strained relationship with other Republican senators. Bunning later announced that he would not run in 2010. Mongiardo was narrowly defeated in the Democratic Primary by the Attorney General of Kentucky Jack Conway
.
Under a bill changing the selection process of candidates for Lieutenant Governor, which was proposed to the Kentucky House of Representatives
, Mongiardo could seek reelection as Lieutenant Governor even if he lost the Democratic primary to the U.S. Senate in 2010. Governor Steve Beshear
, however, has privately indicated his desire to assemble his 2011 reelection team prior to the conclusion of the 2010 election cycle. On July 19, 2009, Beshear named Louisville
mayor Jerry Abramson as his running mate in for reelection in 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and politician from Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. Mongiardo is a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and has been Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
The office of lieutenant governor of Kentucky has existed under the last three of Kentucky's four constitutions, beginning in 1797. The lieutenant governor serves as governor of Kentucky under circumstances similar to the Vice President of the United States assuming the powers of the presidency...
since 2007. He was a member of the Kentucky State Senate
Kentucky Senate
The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky Senators...
from 2001 to 2007. He also ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004, narrowly losing in the general election to Jim Bunning
Jim Bunning
James Paul David "Jim" Bunning is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and politician.During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1955 to 1971, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career...
and again in 2010, losing in the primary election to Jack Conway
Jack Conway (politician)
John William “Jack” Conway is an American politician from Kentucky. Conway is a Democrat and has served as the Attorney General of Kentucky since 2008. Prior to his election as attorney general, he was a candidate in the 2002 U.S. House of Representatives election for , narrowly losing to Anne...
.
Personal life and career
Mongiardo was born to ItalianItalian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
immigrants
Immigration to the United States
Immigration to the United States has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of the history of the United States. The economic, social, and political aspects of immigration have caused controversy regarding ethnicity, economic benefits, jobs for non-immigrants,...
in Hazard, Kentucky
Hazard, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,806 people, 1,946 households, and 1,266 families residing in the city. The population density was 684.6 people per square mile . There were 2,291 housing units at an average density of 326.4 per square mile...
. His father Jimmy owns a whiskey store and coin laundry and his mother Katherine died in 1988 of colon cancer. Mongiardo attended Transylvania University
Transylvania University
Transylvania University is a private, undergraduate liberal arts college in Lexington, Kentucky, United States, affiliated with the Christian Church . The school was founded in 1780. It offers 38 majors, and pre-professional degrees in engineering and accounting...
and received his medical degree
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
The University of Kentucky College of Medicine is a medical school found in the University of Kentucky's Chandler Medical Center in Lexington, KY.-History:...
in 1986. From 1986 to 2000, Mongiardo worked as an ear, nose and throat surgeon, performing his residency
Residency (medicine)
Residency is a stage of graduate medical training. A resident physician or resident is a person who has received a medical degree , Podiatric degree , Dental Degree and who practices...
in Lexington
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. Mongiardo helped open a free health clinic and became chief of staff at the Hazard Appalachian Hospital. He entered politics in 2000 and was elected to the state senate, after defeating incumbent Glenn Freeman in an expensive and bitter Democratic primary with 49.1 percent of the vote and then winning the general election with 70 percent of the vote.
Mongiardo was reelected to a redrawn district in 2002 that covers Bell
Bell County, Kentucky
Bell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed August 1, 1867, from parts of Knox and Harlan Counties and augmented from Knox County in 1872. As of 2010 the population was 69,060. Its county seat is Pineville...
, Harlan
Harlan County, Kentucky
Harlan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1819. As of 2000, the population was 33,200. Its county seat is Harlan...
, Leslie
Leslie County, Kentucky
Leslie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 12,401. Its county seat is Hyden. The county is named for Preston H. Leslie, Governor of Kentucky...
and Perry
Perry County, Kentucky
Perry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of 2000, the population was 29,390. Its county seat is Hazard. The county is named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, a naval hero in the War of 1812.- Geography :...
counties with 65.6 percent of the vote. In this campaign Mongiardo argued his opponent Johnnie L. Turner had used images of Mohamed Atta
Mohamed Atta
Mohamed Mohamed el-Amir Awad el-Sayed Atta was one of the masterminds and the ringleader of the September 11 attacks who served as the hijacker-pilot of American Airlines Flight 11, crashing the plane into the North Tower of the World Trade Center as part of the coordinated attacks.Born in 1968...
in a television advertisement to compare Atta to him. In the Kentucky Senate
Kentucky Senate
The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky Senators...
Mongiardo worked to bring water projects to his district, pressed for legislation to establish an electronic medical network, and voted against a constitutional amendment that would allow the legislature to limit the payment of punitive damages in medical malpractice cases. Mongiardo continued his private practice and married Allison Patrick in Covington, Kentucky
Covington, Kentucky
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 43,370 people, 18,257 households, and 10,132 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,301.3 people per square mile . There were 20,448 housing units at an average density of 1,556.5 per square mile...
in 2008. Their first child, Katherine, was born on December 22, 2009.
2004 U.S. Senate race
Mongiardo ran in the 2004 U.S. Senate election to unseat incumbent first-term Senator Jim BunningJim Bunning
James Paul David "Jim" Bunning is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and politician.During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1955 to 1971, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career...
, a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player. He won the primary election with 64.9 percent of the vote and made health care his top campaign priority. Although early polls showed Mongiardo at a significant disadvantage against Bunning, who had more name recognition and campaign funds, Mongiardo was able to make large gains on account of several missteps committed by Bunning and other Kentucky Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, including Bunning's admission not to have read newspapers articles on the Iraq war and claims made against Mongiardo regarding his staff's violence against Bunning's wife, his sexual preference, and his physical likeness to Saddam Hussein's sons, for the last of which Bunning later apologized. Mongiardo responded with statements about his co-sponsorship of a constitutional amendment
Kentucky Constitutional Amendment 1 (2004)
Kentucky Constitutional Amendment 1 of 2004, is an amendment to the Kentucky Constitution that makes it unconstitutional for the state to recognize or perform same-sex marriages or civil unions. The referendum was approved by 75% of the voters....
banning same-sex marriage in Kentucky and his intent to vote in favor of a Federal Marriage Amendment
Federal Marriage Amendment
The Federal Marriage Amendment H.J. Res. 56 was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution which would have limited marriage in the United States to unions of one man and one woman...
, and he argued that Bunning was removed from the interests of families. Mongiardo gained support from national Democratic organizations, but lost the bitterly contested election 49.3 percent to 50.7 percent. Monigardo was ahead with as much as 80 percent of the returns in. However, the western portion of the state broke strongly for Bunning, providing the ultimate margin of victory.
Lieutenant governor
Steve Beshear
Steven Lynn "Steve" Beshear is an American politician who is the 61st Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A Democrat, Beshear previously served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974 to 1979, was the state's Attorney General from 1980 to 1983, and was Lieutenant Governor from...
chose Mongiardo as his running mate for the 2007 gubernatorial election in Kentucky; they won the Democratic primary election on May 22, 2007 with 41 percent of the vote against several tickets, including Bruce Lunsford
Bruce Lunsford
William Bruce Lunsford is an American Democratic politician from Kentucky. He has served various roles in the Kentucky Democratic Party including, Party treasurer, Deputy Development Secretary, and Head of Commerce...
and Greg Stumbo
Greg Stumbo
Gregory D. "Greg" Stumbo is the Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives. Stumbo, a member of the Democratic Party, is a former Kentucky Attorney General from 2003 to 2007.-Early Career:...
, and Steve Henry and Renee True, and with enough votes to avoid a June runoff. Beshear-Mongiardo were elected over incumbent Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher
Ernie Fletcher
Ernest Lee "Ernie" Fletcher is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. In 1999, he was elected to the first of three consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives; he resigned in 2003 after being elected the 60th governor of Kentucky and served in that office...
on November 6, 2007, winning with 58.7 percent of the state vote. Mongiardo did not risk losing his seat in the state senate because Kentucky holds its constitutional officer elections in odd years.
In September 2008, Mongiardo claimed that some rural voters would not support Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
because of unfamiliarity with Obama, ignorance or race. Mongiardo had endorsed Obama, who had supported him in the 2004 U.S. Senate election. Republican Kentucky State Senate President David L. Williams
David L. Williams
David Lewis Williams is a lawyer and politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. A Republican, he has represented Kentucky's 16th district in the Kentucky Senate since 1987. When Republicans gained control of the state senate in 2000, Williams was chosen as President of the Senate, and he has held...
demanded Mongiardo apologize. Mongiardo argued that if Williams suggested racism was not an issue, he was "out of touch."
2010 U.S. Senate race
In January 2009, Mongiardo announced that he would be running for the U.S. SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat currently held by incumbent Jim Bunning. Mongiardo called for Bunning to withdraw from reelection, questioning his ability to represent the state because of controversial statements made about the health of U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Ruth Joan Bader Ginsburg is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Ginsburg was appointed by President Bill Clinton and took the oath of office on August 10, 1993. She is the second female justice and the first Jewish female justice.She is generally viewed as belonging to...
and Bunning's reportedly strained relationship with other Republican senators. Bunning later announced that he would not run in 2010. Mongiardo was narrowly defeated in the Democratic Primary by the Attorney General of Kentucky Jack Conway
Jack Conway (politician)
John William “Jack” Conway is an American politician from Kentucky. Conway is a Democrat and has served as the Attorney General of Kentucky since 2008. Prior to his election as attorney general, he was a candidate in the 2002 U.S. House of Representatives election for , narrowly losing to Anne...
.
Under a bill changing the selection process of candidates for Lieutenant Governor, which was proposed to the Kentucky House of Representatives
Kentucky House of Representatives
The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a House district, except when necessary to preserve...
, Mongiardo could seek reelection as Lieutenant Governor even if he lost the Democratic primary to the U.S. Senate in 2010. Governor Steve Beshear
Steve Beshear
Steven Lynn "Steve" Beshear is an American politician who is the 61st Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A Democrat, Beshear previously served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974 to 1979, was the state's Attorney General from 1980 to 1983, and was Lieutenant Governor from...
, however, has privately indicated his desire to assemble his 2011 reelection team prior to the conclusion of the 2010 election cycle. On July 19, 2009, Beshear named Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
mayor Jerry Abramson as his running mate in for reelection in 2011.
External links
- Campaign financing from OpenSecrets.org
- Follow the Money campaign contributions