A former Kentucky gubernatorial candidate and appeals court judge died in a tragic house fire Thursday, reports said.
Tom Emberton, 90, rushed to save his wife when their Edmonton home caught fire at around 3:30 a.m.
“He heroically rescued his wife and got her to safety,” Mayor Doug Smith said. “Then he went back in to save his home and lost his life.”
The decedent once ran for governor in 1971 before being appointed as a judge to the Kentucky Court of Appeals in 1987 until his retirement in 2004.
“Tom was just the greatest guy in the world to be around. He was infectious to everybody. He had a way about him that was really special.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell worked for Emberton’s gubernatorial campaign.
“Tom gave me one of my earliest experiences in the rough and tumble reality of political campaigning, hiring me to work on his 1971 gubernatorial campaign,” McConnell said.
“He taught me valuable lessons on public service and running as a statewide Republican in Kentucky.”
