We Join Louisville Courier Journal In Welcoming "Fresh Faces" To State Elected Offices, Minus The "Worrisome" Comment.
Fresh faces
The down-ticket results Tuesday returned a deserving incumbent to office — Attorney General Jack Conway — but also swept some intriguing new candidates into office.
Mr. Conway, a Democrat, salvaged his political career with a hard-fought victory, a year after his bruising defeat by Rand Paul in a U.S. Senate race. This time, he was able to turn back Republican efforts to “federalize” a state race with attacks on the Obama administration and to emphasize his strong record in consumer protection and combating drug trafficking and cybercrime.
Among Democrats, the next secretary of state, Alison Lundergan Grimes, is widely viewed as a rising star, despite an oddly shrill and off-key concession speech Tuesday. She stuck to her guns in advocating wider voter participation and resisting her GOP opponent’s calls for harsh voter ID rules in the bogus cause of fighting election fraud.
Ms. Grimes must be cautious, however, if she maneuvers for higher office. Voters expect the secretary of state, who is in charge of managing elections, to act in a largely nonpartisan manner, a reasonable hope.
Adam Edelen, the new auditor, is also likely to harbor broader ambitions. His challenge will be to fill the shoes of his highly regarded predecessor, Crit Luallen, and to dispel worries that his government and lobbying connections will create conflicts of interest.
On the GOP side, state Rep. James Comer was elected agriculture commissioner with the most votes of any candidate on the ballot. His background in farming, and his passion in promoting agriculture, are refreshing. On the other hand, his embrace of Sen. Mitch McConnell as a “role model” is worrisome.
Another Republican, K. C. Crosbie, narrowly lost her race for state treasurer to incumbent Todd Hollenbach III, whose political future beyond his term now seems tenuous. She is energetic and articulate, and she retains a seat on the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council. Expect to hear from her again.
These will be interesting folks to watch.
The down-ticket results Tuesday returned a deserving incumbent to office — Attorney General Jack Conway — but also swept some intriguing new candidates into office.
Mr. Conway, a Democrat, salvaged his political career with a hard-fought victory, a year after his bruising defeat by Rand Paul in a U.S. Senate race. This time, he was able to turn back Republican efforts to “federalize” a state race with attacks on the Obama administration and to emphasize his strong record in consumer protection and combating drug trafficking and cybercrime.
Among Democrats, the next secretary of state, Alison Lundergan Grimes, is widely viewed as a rising star, despite an oddly shrill and off-key concession speech Tuesday. She stuck to her guns in advocating wider voter participation and resisting her GOP opponent’s calls for harsh voter ID rules in the bogus cause of fighting election fraud.
Ms. Grimes must be cautious, however, if she maneuvers for higher office. Voters expect the secretary of state, who is in charge of managing elections, to act in a largely nonpartisan manner, a reasonable hope.
Adam Edelen, the new auditor, is also likely to harbor broader ambitions. His challenge will be to fill the shoes of his highly regarded predecessor, Crit Luallen, and to dispel worries that his government and lobbying connections will create conflicts of interest.
On the GOP side, state Rep. James Comer was elected agriculture commissioner with the most votes of any candidate on the ballot. His background in farming, and his passion in promoting agriculture, are refreshing. On the other hand, his embrace of Sen. Mitch McConnell as a “role model” is worrisome.
Another Republican, K. C. Crosbie, narrowly lost her race for state treasurer to incumbent Todd Hollenbach III, whose political future beyond his term now seems tenuous. She is energetic and articulate, and she retains a seat on the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council. Expect to hear from her again.
These will be interesting folks to watch.
Labels: News reporting
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 11:39 AM
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