A shekara ta 1951, Gwamna Lawrence Wetherby ya nada shi don cike gurbin a Kotun Kentucky na Kotu. Daga baya a wannan shekarar, an zabe shi zuwa cikakken lokaci a kotun, inda ya ci tsohon gwamnan da alkali Simeon S. Willis. Jam'iyyar Democrat ta Kentucky ta rabu biyu a shekara ta 1955 lokacin da Earl C. Clements, shugaban jam'iyyar daya, ya zabi Combs ya kalubalanci gwamna da tsohon Sanata na Amurka A. B. "Happy" Chandler, wanda ya jagoranci ɗayan, a cikin babban gwamna mai zuwa Tambaya: Daga ina Combs yake?
Gundumar Clay