Lexington, Ky., attorney Andy Barr, who lost his 2010 bid against Rep. Ben Chandler (D) by 647 votes, blasted out an urgent request to supporters Monday asking for their voice in stopping a redistricting bill.

With an incumbent-protection map poised to be voted through the split-control Legislature and signed by the Democratic governor, Barr asked his email list to call their state Senators.

“I need your immediate help!” he wrote. “This weekend I learned that the Republican-controlled State Senate will very soon vote on a redistricting plan that will protect Congressman Ben Chandler by radically changing the make-up of the Sixth Congressional District.”

While Barr wrote that “it is not too late to stop this political gerrymandering plan,” Kentucky sources said it probably is.

“I think it was STUPID for Barr to send this out,” emailed one veteran observer of Frankfort politics. “He’s basically saying it is unwinnable the way its [sic] drawn (it’s not). So — if he stays in the race — what is the incentive for someone to donate if the … candidate is on the record basically saying he can’t win?”