All Entries in the "Alison Lundergan Grimes" Category

Legg concedes Secretary of State primary to Johnson

By Beth Musgrave
bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — After only picking up six votes in a recanvass in the Secretary of State’s race, Hilda Legg on Thursday conceded the Republican primary to Todd County businessman and teacher Bill Johnson.

Johnson will now face Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, a Lexington lawyer, in the November general election.

Legg asked for a recanvass after the May 17 primary when Johnson edged out Legg by less than 1,100 votes, or about 1 percent of the vote.

A recanvass — which is a retabulation of voting machine totals — was conducted Thursday morning. The recanvass showed that Legg picked up nine votes in Martin County and two votes in Pulaski County. Johnson picked up four votes in Martin County and one vote in Pulaski County, leaving Legg with a net gain of six votes.

Election night videos: Williams, Farmer and Grimes

You can find the Herald-Leader’s complete Election Day coverage at http://www.kentucky.com/voteresults/.

And here are video clips from the acceptance speeches given by Republicans David Williams and Richie Farmer and Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes.

David Williams

Richie Farmer

Alison Lundergan Grimes

Candidates for state constitutional offices raking in cash for their campaigns

FRANKFORT — While candidates for governor get the most attention, candidates for the state’s other constitutional offices also are scrambling to raise campaign funds to get out their messages.

Big money is being raised in the race for secretary of state.

The latest campaign finance reports show that in the Democratic race for secretary of state to be decided at the May 17 primary election, Lexington attorney Allison Lundergan Grimes raised $303,283 from Jan. 1 to April 15 and had $256,347 on hand while incumbent Elaine Walker of Bowling Green has taken in $100,420 total and had $78,769 on hand.

Williams-Farmer holds big fund-raising lead in GOP primary

By Jack Brammer – jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — Republican candidate for governor David Williams and his running mate, Richie Farmer, took in $446,943 from Jan. 1 through April 15, giving their campaign for the state’s highest offices more than $1.2 million for the May 17 primary election.

The slate of Senate President Williams and state Agriculture Commissioner Farmer, which reported having $669,839.23 cash on hand, easily outpaced the other two GOP slates for governor — Louisville businessman Phil Moffett with state Rep. Mike Harmon of Danville and Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw with former Navy veteran Bill Vermillion of Caneyville.

The Moffett-Harmon slate reported $45,883 in campaign funds from Jan. 1 to April 15. It said it has raised a total of about $100,000 for the election. It was not immediately clear how much cash the campaign has remaining.

The Holsclaw-Vermillion ticket this week showed $22,774 in receipts for its campaign, with $15,289.44 cash on hand.

Although Williams has raised enough to launch a statewide television campaign in coming weeks, his fund-raising lags that of Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear by a wide margin.

Legg wants future voters to prove citizenship

By Roger Alford | Associated Press

FRANKFORT — People would be required to show a birth certificate or other proof of citizenship before they could register to vote in Kentucky under a proposal by Republican Hilda Legg.

Legg, former head of the federal Appalachian Regional Commission now running for Kentucky secretary of state, made the proposal during a televised debate Monday night with GOP opponent Bill Johnson, a western Kentucky businessman.

Johnson said he opposes the proposal, instead suggesting it be required that only voters who have photo IDs be permitted to cast ballots.

The two Republicans and two Democrats participated in back-to-back debates on Kentucky Educational Television.

Dyche will guest host ‘Comment’; secretary of state candidates on ‘Kentucky Tonight’

Three journalists will join guest host John David Dyche, a Louisville attorney, on this week’s “Comment on Kentucky,” a public-affairs show of the Kentucky Educational Television network.

They are Kenny Colston of Insight’s CN|2, Lexington Herald-Leader editorial writer Jamie Lucke and Tony McVeigh of Kentucky Public Radio.

The 30-minute show airs live Friday at 8 p.m. EDT on KET1. It also will be broadcast at 6:30 a.m. Saturday on KET KY, 7:30 a.m. Sunday on KET KY, 12:30 p.m. Sunday on KET 1, 8 a.m. Monday on KET KY and 7:30 p.m. Monday on KET KY.

On Monday’s “Kentucky Tonight” on KET, host Bill Goodman will talk with the Democratic and Republican primary candidates for secretary of state in the May 17 election.

After filing deadline, lineups are set for May 17 Kentucky primary election

By Beth Musgrave

FRANKFORT — Gov. Steve Beshear will not have an opponent in the May Democratic primary for governor, but Republican frontrunner and state Senate President David Williams will have two opponents.

Tuesday was the filing deadline to run for the state constitutional offices on the May 17 ballot.

In the Republican primary race, Williams and running mate Agricultural Commissioner Richie Farmer will face Jefferson County Clerk Barbara “Bobbie” Holsclaw and retired Navy officer and Jefferson County teacher Bill Vermillion Jr. Also on the Republican ticket is Phil Moffett, a Louisville businessman, who is running with state Rep. Mike Harmon of Danville.

Williams is the front-runner in both name recognition and fundraising. Williams and Farmer, a former University of Kentucky basketball player, have reportedly raised more than $753,196. Moffett has reported raising $53,000.

Democratic feud showcased in race for secretary of state

By Jack Brammer – jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — The May primary election for secretary of state promises to showcase a long-standing feud within the Kentucky Democratic Party and threatens to make Gov. Steve Beshear look politically weak as he seeks reelection.

Less than two weeks after Beshear appointed Bowling Green Mayor Elaine Walker to fill the final 11 months of outgoing Secretary of State Trey Grayson’s term, a Who’s Who list of Kentucky Democrats pledged their support for another candidate on Thursday.

Alison Lundergan Grimes, daughter of former state Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Lundergan, announced her candidacy for secretary of state at rallies in three cities that were attended by Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo, House Speaker Greg Stumbo and former Gov. Julian Carroll, among others.

Democratic consultant Dale Emmons, who is working for Grimes’ campaign, said she also has the endorsements of U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler of Versailles and Lexington Mayor Jim Gray.

A Democratic political consultant who is not involved in this year’s secretary of state race, Danny Briscoe, said it was “a political mistake” for Beshear to appoint Walker, who will replace Grayson when he leaves Feb. 1 to take a job at Harvard University.

Lexington attorney files for secretary of state race

By Jack Brammer – jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — Lexington attorney Alison Lundergan Grimes filed Thursday to seek the Democratic nomination for secretary of state.

Grimes, 33, is the daughter of former state Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Lundergan and Charlotte Lundergan, a state committeewoman for the Democratic National Committee.

Grimes held news conferences at the Lyric Theatre in downtown Lexington and the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort to announce her candidacy. She was to appear later today at a Louisville news conference.

Grimes, a former president of the Fayette County Women’s Lawyers Association, said she has worked frequently as an attorney with the secretary of state’s office “and has the ‘know-how’ to make it better.”