All Entries in the "Alison Lundergan Grimes" Category

Grimes weighing possible bid for U.S. Senate against McConnell

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — After a busy legislative session and a business trip to Taiwan, Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes is pondering whether to run for the U.S. Senate next year against Republican incumbent Mitch McConnell.

Grimes, a Democrat, said Tuesday she is “now going to take the time to reflect with my family, my supporters on how I can best continue to serve the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”

Grimes did not set a timetable for making a decision, saying only that she will “give it the due diligence it deserves.”

Political observers differ on how quickly Grimes should decide.

McConnell campaign ad claims he is Obama’s ‘No. 1 target’

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell depicts himself as a victim of “dirty” attacks by liberals and President Barack Obama’s “No. 1 target” in a TV ad that begins airing Friday.

McConnell’s campaign said it has spent more than $100,000 to air the ad statewide on cable and broadcast stations. It is the Republican candidate’s second TV ad even though the election is more than a year away and no major candidate has announced to run against him.

The 30-second ad, titled “How Dirty?”, features a female narrator who says, “Mitch McConnell is Obama’s number one target because Mitch protects Kentucky from Obama’s bad ideas. Liberals will do anything to beat McConnell.”

Obama, a Democrat, remains unpopular in Kentucky. Early in the president’s first term, McConnell said his “single most important goal” as Republican Senate leader was to make Obama a one-term president. Obama was re-elected last year.

Thousands watch VP debate on Centre lawn over cries of protester

By Greg Kocher and Beth Musgrave
gkocher1@herald-leader.com
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

By Greg Kocher and Beth Musgrave — gkocher1@herald-leader.com

DANVILLE — Over the cries of a protester in a tree, a crowd of thousands at Centre College’s vice presidential debate festival listened intently to the broadcast of the debate on a large screen TV on the campus lawn.

Hearing the debate proved challenging as an anti-abortion protester shouted from up a tree on the edge of the festival lawn. He was still shouting nearly an hour into the debate, having climbed even higher to avoid law-enforcement agents who had put up a ladder. Police said they chose to leave the protester in the tree rather than risk his safety in trying to extricate him.

“Stop Obama! Support Romney! Over 50 million babies have been killed!” the man shouted.

Some in the large crowd at the base of the tree shouted “Tase him!”

Grimes proposes email voting for overseas soldiers, gets support from legislative leaders

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes proposed Wednesday to let Kentucky soldiers who are overseas vote by email.

Her plan was endorsed immediately by Senate President David Williams and House Speaker Greg Stumbo at a news conference in the Capitol Rotunda that attracted dozens of veterans.

Williams, R-Burkesville, said he would make Grimes’ recommendation Senate Bill 1 in the 2013 General Assembly and urge the chamber to pass it quickly. Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said the proposal “will receive a very good reception in the House.”

Grimes was one of five secretaries of state across the nation who was in the Middle East last week to help the military with voting procedures.

Libyan killings lead to increased security for Grimes, other officials on Middle East trip

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT – The killings in Libya of the American ambassador and three other diplomats have led to an increase in security for a group of U.S. officials reviewing military voting procedures in the Middle East that includes Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes.

Grimes, in an interview with the Lexington Herald-Leader Wednesday afternoon, said the events in Libya “obviously have caused an increase in security” for the trip arranged by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Grimes, of Lexington, is one of five secretaries of state across the nation who was asked by the Federal Voting Assistance Program and the Department of Defense to make the trip to the Middle East to meet with uniformed soldiers about voting by absentee ballots and registering to vote.

She said she has confidence in the department’s security plans and knows that American soldiers “have our backs.”

Judge allows absentee voters additional time to vote

By Beth Musgrave
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — Absentee voters will have additional time to receive and fill out ballots for three special elections on Nov. 6.

Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd ruled Tuesday that candidates in special elections for a Louisville state senate seat, a Western Kentucky state house seat and for the 4th Congressional Districts must file their candidacy papers by Sept. 10, roughly a month earlier. By moving up the candidacy certification deadline, it will give absentee voters more time to receive and return absentee ballots.

Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes filed a lawsuit in Franklin Circuit Court earlier this month asking Shepherd to issue an injunction against state laws that made it difficult for absentee voters to receive ballots in enough time to fill them out and return them.

Sen. Jensen officially files for E. Ky. circuit judgeship

FRANKFORT – Senate Judiciary Chairman Tom Jensen, R-London, officially filed Friday in the Capitol office of Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes to run for circuit judge in Laurel and Knox counties.

Jensen will not run for another term in the state Senate. He plans to finish out his current term, which ends Dec. 31. Since he was unopposed this fall, Democratic and Republican leaders in the 21st Senate District, which is made up of Laurel, Estill, Jackson, Menifee and Powell counties, will pick party nominees to run for Jensen’s Senate seat Nov. 6.

Jensen had planned to run in 2014 for a term as circuit judge, but the seat came open with the resignation of Judge John Knox Mills.

–Jack Brammer

SOS Grimes files lawsuit against state, saying military and overseas voters need more time to vote

Alison Lundergan Grimes

By Beth Musgrave
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes wants a judge to stop enforcement of a Kentucky law in order to give military and overseas voters more time to cast absentee ballots in a Nov. 6 special election.

Kentucky law currently states that absentee ballots for special elections for state house and senate races, congressional seats and the governor can only be sent 27 days before a special election. However, in federal elections, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Voting Act requires states to send all ballots no later than 45 days before an election.

SOS Grimes only Democratic constitutional officer to speak at Fancy Farm

Alison Lundergan Grimes

By Beth Musgrave
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes announced Friday that she will speak at Saturday’s Fancy Farm picnic, making her the sole Democratic constitutional officer to speak at the annual Western Kentucky political event.

Secretary of State Grimes headed to Afghanistan to help American soldiers vote

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT – Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes will be traveling to Afghanistan and several other countries in September to help American soldiers vote.

Grimes is one of six secretaries of state across the nation who has been asked by the Federal Voting Assistance Program and the Department of Defense to make the two-week trip to meet with uniformed soldiers in Afghanistan, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

No state funds will be involved for the trip, Grimes said, adding that no staff or family member will be accompanying her.