"I Kind of Like Putting It To The Test"

Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor Mike Carter is winning attention and headlines -- but why is he running?

Some skeptics have suggested he's only running to boost his name I.D. to draw more law clients. Thursday, Carter denied that in a phone interview with the KY3 Political Notebook.

"If I was Lathrop & Gage or some other big firm that would work," Carter said. "To boost my name presence throughout the state does little or no good for me. I have two offices and two major clients who I do work for all the time," he added.

Cater, a Mizzou journalism graduate, said he's running because he likes a challenge and "kind of likes putting it to the test."

"I mean I think Joe Buck could win the Lieutenant Governorship based on name I.D. because no one really cares about it," Carter said. "I want to see if people really care. I don't have money coming out of my ears, but I have enough to do it," he said.

"If my theory's right about name I.D., then Sam Page, the leading monetary candidate, can't be known better than me across the state," Carter added.

When asked why his campaign has called him the frontrunner, he scaled that back a notch. "I think we are making inroads far more than anyone expected. If everything is measured in donors, then we are not the one in the lead," he said.

"I want to prove that I can do it without the donors, so when I'm elected I can do things for the people and not the contributors," Carter said.

A spokesman for Rep. Sam Page's campaign declined to comment.