All Entries in the "Todd P’Pool" Category

Oklahoma attorney general will campaign for P’Pool

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — Republican attorney general nominee Todd P’Pool will get an assist in his campaign from Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, who has garnered national attention in his fight against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

P’Pool, the Hopkins County attorney who faces Democratic incumbent Jack Conway in the Nov. 8 general election, said Monday that Pruitt will campaign with him in September.

Pruitt grew up in Lexington and earned a baseball scholarship at the University of Kentucky before attending law school in Oklahoma.

Earlier this year, Pruitt filed suit against the federal EPA for trying to shut down coal-burning plants in Oklahoma. He also has joined in a lawsuit against health care reforms pushed by President Barack Obama.

Pruitt is the latest in a series of leading Republicans to announce they will assist P’Pool this fall in his election. Others include Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, former Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson and former UK basketball star Travis Ford.

–Jack Brammer

Huckabee will attend Oct. 1 fundraiser for P’Pool

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee will attend an Oct. 1 fundraiser for Republican Todd P’Pool’s campaign for attorney general at the Louisville home of Cathy Bailey, who was U.S. ambassador to Latvia from 2005 to 2008.

“Governor Huckabee is one of the strongest advocates for conservatism in America today,” P’Pool said in a statement. “Our shared values of being pro-life, pro-family, and pro-Second Amendment are currently lacking in Kentucky because we have a Barack Obama enthusiast in the attorney general’s office.”

Huckabee, a presidential contender in 2008, now is a Fox News commentator.

P’Pool, attorney for Hopkins County, faces Democratic incumbent Jack Conway of Louisville in the Nov. 8 general election.

–Jack Brammer

P’Pool gets campaign help from Virginia attorney general

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT – Todd P’Pool, Republican nominee for state attorney general, will be getting an assist in his campaign by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.

P’Pool’s campaign said Wednesday that Cuccinelli, who was the first attorney general in the nation to litigate the new federal health care law in federal court, will participate in a Sept. 29 fund-raiser for P’Pool in Elizabethtown.

“I am honored to have General Cuccinelli come to Kentucky and campaign on my behalf,” P’Pool said. “His conservative leadership against the unconstitutional health care law is a model that I pledge to replicate here in Kentucky.”

P’Pool, attorney for Hopkins County, is facing Democratic incumbent Jack Conway of Louisville in the Nov. 8 general election.

State questioned record-keeping of GOP candidate for attorney general

By Beth Musgrave – bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — Republican attorney general candidate Todd P’Pool has been warned twice by Kentucky officials for not keeping adequate records that justify the time he bills the state for working on child support collection cases as the Hopkins County Attorney.

Officials warned P’Pool in 2008 and again in 2010 that he was not keeping adequate records of his work enforcing the state’s child support laws, according to documents obtained by the Lexington Herald-Leader through an Open Records Act request.

P’Pool’s campaign defends his record-keeping and performance in child support cases, noting that P’Pool has increased child support collection in Hopkins County by 37 percent since being elected in 2006, has passed previous audits done by the cabinet and has won two outstanding performance awards from the state.

“If the cabinet had a problem with what he was doing, why would they give him two outstanding service awards?” said David Ray, a spokesman for the P’Pool campaign.

P’Pool is challenging incumbent Democrat Jack Conway in November for the state’s top law enforcement job.

Republican leaders try to unify party at Frankfort rally

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

FRANKFORT — Republicans tried to heal rifts from Tuesday’s primary elections for state offices and unify party support for November’s general election at a rally Saturday at party headquarters.

The two losing candidates for the Republican primary for governor — Louisville businessman Phil Moffett, who enjoyed widespread Tea Party support, and Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw, who prevailed in the state’s most populous county — were there to stand by party nominee David Williams.

But they said later that their roles in Williams’ fall campaign remain uncertain.

Williams, Moffett take on Beshear at Fayette GOP dinner

By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com

Two Republican candidates for governor took on Democratic incumbent Steve Beshear more than each other Saturday night at the Fayette County Republican Party dinner.

Senate President David Williams of Burkesville claimed Beshear, who has no opponent in May’s Democratic primary election, has no agenda and Louisville businessman Phil Moffett said Forbes magazine last October labeled Kentucky as the worst run state in the nation and that Kentucky’s bond rating has declined because of the state’s financial picture.

Williams and Moffett were at center stage at the Fayette GOP dinner at the Griffin Gate Marriott attended by about 200 people and hosted by Lexington sports media celebrity Dave Baker.

A third Republican candidate for governor, Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw, was invited but did not show up, said Fayette County GOP Chair Carol Rogers.

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.

Former McConnell aide signs on with P’Pool campaign

By Roger Alford – Associated Press

FRANKFORT — A respected GOP leader and longtime adviser to U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell signed on Tuesday as chairman of Republican Todd P’Pool’s campaign for attorney general in Kentucky.

Larry Cox, who retired as McConnell’s state director last year after some 26 years, said in a statement released by the campaign that P’Pool is the clear choice for the job.

P’Pool, a Madisonville lawyer who has been elected twice as Hopkins County attorney, is the only Republican in the attorney general’s race so far, though former Supreme Court Chief Justice Joseph Lambert has said he is considering a run.

Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Jack Conway, who is seeking re-election, hasn’t drawn any opposition in his party’s primary.

Hopkins County Attorney files to run for state attorney general

FRANKFORT – Hopkins County Attorney Todd P’Pool filed Wednesday to run for next year’s Republican nomination for state attorney general.

P’Pool, 37, of Madisonville, said his first order of business as the state’s chief prosecutor would be to join other states that have filed legal challenges to the federal health care reform pushed by Democratic President Barack Obama.

Kentucky Democratic Attorney General Jack Conway, who is seeking re-election, decided not to join in the lawsuit.

P’Pool has been elected twice as county attorney for Hopkins County. His wife, Shannon, and he have three daughters.