LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The controversy over Rowan Co. Clerk Kim Davis has become an issue in Kentucky's fall election.
Democrats are downplaying the potential fallout while Republicans are trying to turn up the heat.
The annual labor picnic at the Louisville zoo is friendly territory for Democratic candidates, but they could not avoid the potentially unfriendly topic of the clerk. Davis was jailed for contempt of court after violating a Supreme Court order to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples.
It was all shaking hands, smiling for pictures and posing with babies as Democrats worked to firm up support among labor unions.
Democrats are treading carefully through the intersection of law and religion that is the Kim Davis controversy.
“Overwhelmingly, Kentuckians like to see the people they elect do their jobs, and that's what the courts have indicated, and we hope that continues to be the case,” said Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, who is running for re-election.
“I think this is going to be something that people are just going to have to sort out given their own conscience and given their own appreciation that we're a nation of laws,” said State Auditor Adam Edelen, who is also seeking a second term.
Davis supporters say Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear and Attorney Jack Conway, who wants to be governor, have not done enough to help accommodate Davis' religious objection to same sex marriage.
“This could be easily fixed. There's a simple solution if Gov. Beshear would do something about it,” said Serena Smith, who was demonstrating outside the Rowan Co. Courthouse last week.
But Conway and other Democrats do not believe the controversy will hurt in the fall as voters think through the issue.
“She's obviously in a very heartfelt position right now, but she is not in jail over her religious belief. She's in jail because she defied a federal judge's court order. We're a nation of laws,” said Conway.
But Republicans are pushing the issue, with gubernatorial candidate Matt Bevin siding with Davis and calling out Conway.
“I'm calling on our Attorney General and our Governor to stand in the gap and to truly represent the will of the people of in state of Kentucky,” Bevin told reporters last week.
Davis backers are, in particular, targeting the governor's son, Andy Beshear, who is running for Attorney General.
Andy Beshear briefly attended the labor picnic, but did not stick around to answer questions. His campaign spokesperson said he left to attend an event in Lexington.
AFL-CIO President Bill Londrigan believes in November, pocketbook issues will mean more than this latest battle in the culture war.
“We see this as outside attempt to try and divide and conquer people between these social/cultural issues and economic issues. We're standing for economic issues,” said Londrigan.
The political heat intensifies on Tuesday when Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee holds a rally outside the Carter Co. jail where Davis is being held.
More: Attorneys for Kim Davis file appeal to the order that jailed her Thursday
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