{{short description|American attorney and author (1947–2012)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2021}} {{Infobox person | name = Gatewood Galbraith | image = Gatewood Gailbraith 2011.jpg | caption = Galbraith in 2011 | birth_name = Louis Gatewood Galbraith | birth_date = {{birth date|1947|1|23}} | birth_place = [[Carlisle, Kentucky]], U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2012|1|4|1947|1|23}} | death_place = [[Lexington, Kentucky]], U.S. | occupation = {{Hlist|Attorney|author|political candidate}} | political_party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] (before 1999; 2007–2011)<br />[[Reform Party of the United States of America|Reform]] (1999–2000)<br />[[Independent politician|Independent]] (2000–2003, 2011–2012) | education = [[University of Kentucky]] }}
'''Louis Gatewood Galbraith''' (January 23, 1947 – January 4, 2012) was an American author, [[Attorneys in the United States|attorney]], and [[perennial candidate]] who ran unsuccessfully for numerous state and federal offices in [[Kentucky]] from 1983 to 2011.
==Early life and education== Born in [[Carlisle, Kentucky]], to Henry Clay and Dollie Galbraith, on January 23, 1947, Gatewood was the fourth of seven children. He graduated from the [[University of Kentucky]] in 1974 and from the [[University of Kentucky College of Law]] in 1977.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wuky.org/post/kentucky-political-figure-gatewood-galbraith-dead-64|title=Kentucky Political Figure Gatewood Galbraith Dead at 64|website=www.wuky.org|date=January 4, 2012 |language=en|access-date=April 21, 2020}}</ref>
==Legal career== Galbraith's law practice focused on criminal law and personal injury civil actions.<ref name="WLEXdeath">{{citation |url=http://www.lex18.com/news/gatewood-galbraith-dies-at-64/ |title=Gatewood Galbraith Dies At 64 |accessdate=January 4, 2012 |date=January 4, 2012 |publisher=[[WLEX-TV]] |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108082201/http://www.lex18.com/news/gatewood-galbraith-dies-at-64 |archivedate=January 8, 2012}}</ref>
In a Kentucky marijuana trafficking case in 2001–02, Judge [[John D. Minton Jr.]] granted a [[stay of proceedings|stay]] after the appeal in the case had been denied by the [[Kentucky Court of Appeals]] in 2001.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://revenue.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/8CA5A233-C906-4909-B384-B4C29CA089BB/0/annualreport0203.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606145142/http://revenue.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/8CA5A233-C906-4909-B384-B4C29CA089BB/0/annualreport0203.pdf|url-status=dead|title=Kentucky Revenue Cabinet Annual Report 2002–2003|archivedate=June 6, 2013|accessdate=October 7, 2022}}</ref> Shortly after this, a review of tax law changes led to the enactment of the Marijuana Tax Stamp by the 2003 General Assembly. On March 3, 2011, Governor [[Steve Beshear]] signed what he declared a "landmark corrections reform bill" into law which [[decriminalization|decriminalizes]] personal use of up eight ounces of marijuana, reducing it to a ticketable offense.<ref>[http://www.governor.ky.gov/pressrelease.htm?PostingGUID={7AA46DC1-07A8-47C7-A3DC-281BB35E5DAA} Governor Steve Beshear's Communications Office Gov. released "Beshear signs landmark corrections reform bill into law"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111202072700/http://www.governor.ky.gov/pressrelease.htm?PostingGUID=%7B7AA46DC1-07A8-47C7-A3DC-281BB35E5DAA%7D |date=December 2, 2011 }} Press Release Date: Thursday, March 3, 2011 "I'm pleased we're making progress in tackling the problems facing our penal code," Chief Justice of Kentucky John D. Minton Jr. said. "With all three branches involved in this deliberative process, I'm confident that the outcome will be positive for Kentucky."</ref>{{clarify|date=August 2024|reason=paragraph needs better explanation of how Galbraith was involved, with secondary sources}}
==Political activism== Galbraith worked closely with his longtime friend and supporter Norm Davis, gun rights advocate, activist and founder of the grassroots organization "Take Back Kentucky", in support of "smaller government and preservation of our constitutional freedoms and rights with-in the commonwealth."<ref>[http://www.takebackkentucky.com/ Take Back Kentucky]{{nonspecific|date=February 2023}}</ref>
Galbraith supported the legalization of recreational [[Cannabis (drug)|marijuana]] use, arguing that the framers of the US Constitution "did not say we have a Constitutional right to possess alcohol. They said we have a Constitutional right to privacy in our homes, under which fits the possession of an extremely poisonous alcohol. Now this is the law in Kentucky today. In fact, it is these rulings that keep the [[Kentucky State Police]] from kicking down the doors of people possessing alcohol in Kentucky's 77 'dry' counties right now and hauling their butts off to jail. Now Marijuana is a demonstrably less harmful substance than alcohol and presents far less of threat to public welfare. So it also fits in a person's right to privacy in their home. It's beyond the police power of the state as long as I don't sell it and it's for my own personal use."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Last-Free-Man-America-Subversion/dp/1932672354|title=The Last Free Man in America|website=Amazon.com}}</ref>
Galbraith appeared in the 2010 Michael P. Henning documentary film ''[[Hempsters: Plant the Seed]]'', along with [[Woody Harrelson]], [[Ralph Nader]], [[Willie Nelson]], [[Merle Haggard]] and [[Julia Butterfly Hill]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hempstersthemovie.com/|title=Hempsters: Plant the Seed – Spreading the truth about Hemp|website=hempstersthemovie.com|accessdate=October 7, 2022}}</ref> He was featured in the documentary film ''A NORML Life''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cinemalibrestudio.com/anormllife/bios.html|title=A NORML LIFE - Supporting the rights of patients to use Marijuana|website=www.cinemalibrestudio.com|accessdate=October 7, 2022}}</ref>
==Political campaigns== Galbraith ran for various offices in Kentucky, including [[Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture|agriculture commissioner]], [[Attorney General of Kentucky|attorney general]], and for a seat in the [[United States House of Representatives]]. Galbraith also ran for [[Governor of Kentucky|Governor]] five times – as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] in [[1991 Kentucky gubernatorial election|1991]], [[1995 Kentucky gubernatorial election|1995]], and [[2007 Kentucky gubernatorial election|2007]], as a [[Reform Party of the United States of America|Reform Party]] candidate in [[1999 Kentucky gubernatorial election|1999]],<ref name="GatewoodGovernor2007">{{cite web|last=Loftus|first=Tom|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070123/NEWS01/70123037/1008/NEWS01|title=Galbraith announces for governor|work=[[The Courier-Journal]]|date=January 23, 2007|accessdate=January 31, 2007}}{{registration required}}</ref> and lastly as an [[independent (politics)|independent]] in [[2011 Kentucky gubernatorial election|2011]].<ref name=WLEXdeath />
Galbraith was a vocal advocate for ending the prohibition of [[cannabis (drug)|cannabis]]<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.npr.org/2012/01/05/144717139/colorful-kentucky-politician-gatewood-galbraith-dies |title=Colorful Kentucky Politician Gatewood Galbraith Dies |date=January 5, 2012 |accessdate=January 5, 2012 |last=Bullard |first=Gabe |publisher=[[NPR]]}}</ref> and was known for his quips.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.kentucky.com/2012/01/05/2015829/read-some-of-gatewoods-best-quips.html |title=Read some of Gatewood's best quips, quotes and barbs through the years |date=January 4, 2012 |accessdate=January 4, 2012 |work=[[Lexington Herald-Leader]]}}</ref>
Included in Galbraith's platform<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.courier-journal.com/VideoNetwork/1097204923001/Gatewood-Galbraith-speaks-at-Fancy-Farm-2011?nclick_check=1|title=Gatewood Galbraith speaks at Fancy Farm 2011|publisher=courier-journal.com}}</ref> were [[Election promise|campaign promises]] of implementing a freeze on college tuition, a $5,000 grant or voucher provided to motivated high school graduates to any college or vocational school, incorporating more technology into the education process, restoring [[hemp]] as an agricultural crop, ending cannabis prohibition in Kentucky, restoring of voting and gun rights of non-violent felons, agricultural market development, stricter environmental protections, recreational and tourism development, water standard enforcement, expansion of fish and wildlife programs, abolition of state worker furloughs, expansion of energy development, Internet access to all counties, abolition of the income tax for those who earn fifty thousand dollars or less, small business tax exemptions, job development, a return investment policy, the establishment of regional economic development offices, marketing Kentucky's signature industries, the prohibition of [[fracking]] and [[mountaintop removal mining]]. He raised $100,000 of his $500,000 budget and was endorsed by the [[United Mine Workers of America]], the first time the [[trade union|union]] had backed an independent.<ref>''Southern Political Report'', December 15, 2010, [http://www.southernpoliticalreport.com/storylink_1215_1726.aspx "Governor's Race to be Hotly Contested"] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120917175020/http://www.southernpoliticalreport.com/storylink_1215_1726.aspx |date=September 17, 2012}}</ref>
===1983 run for Agriculture Commissioner=== Galbraith ran for Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner after incumbent Democrat Alben Barkley II decided to run instead for [[Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky|lieutenant governor]]. Galbraith ran as a Democrat and ranked last among four candidates in the Democratic primary with 12 percent of the vote. [[David Boswell (Kentucky politician)|David Boswell]] won with a plurality of 35 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=375273 |title=KY Agriculture Commissioner – D Primary Race – May 23, 1983 |publisher=Our Campaigns |date= |accessdate=August 11, 2012}}</ref>
===1991 gubernatorial election=== {{main|1991 Kentucky gubernatorial election}}
In 1991 Galbraith ran for [[Governor of Kentucky]]. He ranked last in a four candidate Democratic primary with five percent of the vote. Lieutenant Governor [[Brereton Jones]] won the primary with a plurality of 38 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=13238 |title=KY Governor – D Primary Race – May 28, 1991 |publisher=Our Campaigns |date= |accessdate=August 11, 2012}}</ref>
===1995 gubernatorial election=== {{main|1995 Kentucky gubernatorial election}}
Galbraith ran for governor again at the end of Brereton Jones's term. In the Democratic primary, he ranked fourth in a five candidate field with nine percent of the vote. Lieutenant Governor [[Paul E. Patton|Paul Patton]] won with a plurality of 45 percent of the vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=12016 |title=KY Governor – D Primary Race – May 23, 1995 |publisher=Our Campaigns |date= |accessdate=August 11, 2012}}</ref> In the general election, Galbraith decided to run as a [[write-in]] candidate and got just 0.4 percent of the vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=12577 |title=KY Governor Race – Nov 07, 1995 |publisher=Our Campaigns |date= |accessdate=August 11, 2012}}</ref>
===1999 gubernatorial election=== {{main|1999 Kentucky gubernatorial election}}
Galbraith ran again for governor in 1999. This time he ran on the [[Reform Party of the United States of America|Reform Party ticket]] and got 15 percent of the vote, the best statewide general election performance of his career. The Republican candidates were [[Peppy Martin]] for governor and [[Wanda Cornelius]] for lieutenant governor. Incumbent Democratic Governor Paul Patton won re-election with 61 percent of the vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=237 |title=KY Governor Race – Nov 02, 1999 |publisher=Our Campaigns |date= |accessdate=August 11, 2012}}</ref>
===2000 congressional election=== Galbraith ran for Congress in [[Kentucky's 6th congressional district]] in 2000 as an independent. Incumbent Republican U.S. Congressman [[Ernie Fletcher]] won re-election with 53 percent of the vote. Democratic nominee and former U.S. Congressman [[Scotty Baesler]] got 35 percent of the vote. Galbraith ranked third with 12 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=483 |title=KY District 6 Race – Nov 07, 2000 |publisher=Our Campaigns |date= |accessdate=August 11, 2012}}</ref>
===2002 congressional election=== In 2002, Galbraith decided to run in the 6th District again. Incumbent Republican U.S. Congressman Ernie Fletcher won re-election with 72 percent of the vote. No Democrat filed to run against him. Galbraith, as an independent, ranked second with 26 percent of the vote, his highest percentage in an election.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=1154 |title=KY District 6 Race – Nov 05, 2002 |publisher=Our Campaigns |date= |accessdate=August 11, 2012}}</ref>
===2003 run for Kentucky Attorney General=== Galbraith decided to run for [[Attorney General of Kentucky|Kentucky Attorney General]] as an independent. Democratic State Representative [[Greg Stumbo]] won the election with 48 percent of the vote. Republican nominee Jack Wood ranked second with 42 percent of the vote. Galbraith ranked third with 11 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=23590 |title=KY Attorney General Race – Nov 04, 2003 |publisher=Our Campaigns |date= |accessdate=August 11, 2012}}</ref>
===2007 gubernatorial election=== {{main|2007 Kentucky gubernatorial election}}
Galbraith decided to run for governor a fourth time. This time, he decided to run as a Democrat, the first time since 1995. In the Democratic primary, Galbraith ranked fifth in a six-candidate field with six percent of the vote. However, he carried [[Nicholas County, Kentucky|Nicholas County]] with a 32 percent plurality. Lieutenant Governor [[Steve Beshear]] won with a plurality of 41 percent of the vote. [[Bruce Lunsford]] ranked second with 21 percent. Former Lieutenant Governor [[Steve Henry]] ranked third with 17 percent. [[Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives|Speaker of the Kentucky House]] [[Jody Richards]] ranked fourth with 13 percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=263908 |title=KY Governor – D Primary Race – May 22, 2007 |publisher=Our Campaigns |date= |accessdate=August 11, 2012}}</ref>
===2011 gubernatorial election=== {{main|2011 Kentucky gubernatorial election}}
In 2011, Galbraith decided to run for governor a fifth time. This time, he decided to run as an independent.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Cook|first=Rhodes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DSZzAwAAQBAJ&dq=2011+kentucky+governor+election+independent+gatewood&pg=PA188|title=America Votes 30: 2011-2012, Election Returns by State|date=November 5, 2013|publisher=CQ Press|isbn=978-1-4522-9017-1|language=en}}</ref> Incumbent Democratic Governor Steve Beshear won re-election with 56 percent of the vote. Republican State Senator [[David L. Williams (politician)|David Williams]] of [[Burkesville, Kentucky|Burkesville]], the President of the State Senate, ranked second with 35 percent. Galbraith trailed with nine percent.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=457349 |title=KY Governor Race – Nov 08, 2011 |publisher=Our Campaigns |date= |accessdate=August 11, 2012}}</ref>
== Death == Galbraith died from natural causes, including complications from [[emphysema]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=WKYT |title=New information on Gatewood Galbraith's final days |url=https://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/New_information_on_Gatewood_Galbraiths_final_days_alive_136726778.html |access-date=June 2, 2020 |website=www.wkyt.com |language=english }}{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> on January 4, 2012, at his home in [[Lexington, Kentucky]].<ref>{{citation |title=Coroner: Galbraith Died Of Natural Causes |date=January 4, 2012 |url=http://www.lex18.com/news/coroner-galbraith-died-of-natural-causes/ |publisher=[[WLEX-TV]] |accessdate=January 4, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109115117/http://www.lex18.com/news/coroner-galbraith-died-of-natural-causes/ |archivedate=January 9, 2012}}</ref><ref name="WKYTdeath">{{citation |title=Political figure Gatewood Galbraith dies |date=January 4, 2012 |url=http://www.wkyt.com/news/headlines/Political_figure_Gatewood_Galbraith_dies_136658088.html?ref=088 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109013219/http://www.wkyt.com/news/headlines/Political_figure_Gatewood_Galbraith_dies_136658088.html?ref=088 |publisher=[[WKYT-TV]] |archive-date=January 9, 2012 |accessdate=January 4, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Published work== * Galbraith, Gatewood (2004). ''The Last Free Man In America Meets The Synthetic Subversion''. Outskirts Press. {{ISBN|1-932672-35-4}}.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Commons category-inline}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20051222064434/http://www.gatewood.com/ Official website] * {{C-SPAN|15651}} * [https://exploreuk.uky.edu/catalog/xt7v416t1q2m/guide Guide to the Gatewood Galbraith papers, 1935–2013, undated] housed at the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Galbraith, Gatewood}} [[Category:1947 births]] [[Category:2012 deaths]] [[Category:20th-century American lawyers]] [[Category:20th-century Kentucky politicians]] [[Category:21st-century American lawyers]] [[Category:21st-century Kentucky politicians]] [[Category:American libertarians]] [[Category:American male non-fiction writers]] [[Category:American political writers]] [[Category:Anti-corporate activists]] [[Category:Candidates in the 2000 United States elections]] [[Category:Candidates in the 2002 United States elections]] [[Category:Candidates in the 2007 United States elections]] [[Category:Candidates in the 2011 United States elections]] [[Category:Deaths from emphysema]] [[Category:American cannabis activists]] [[Category:Kentucky Democrats]] [[Category:Kentucky independents]] [[Category:Kentucky lawyers]] [[Category:Monetary reformers]] [[Category:People from Carlisle, Kentucky]] [[Category:Reform Party of the United States of America politicians]] [[Category:University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law alumni]] [[Category:Writers from Lexington, Kentucky]]